Weekly Update week ending 25 February 2017

Weekly
Update
Week Ending 25 February 2017
Inside:
How we are performing
Thank you from Tom
About Tom's notes
Thanks
Join the Train Team
London Midland connecting with suppliers
Making Safer Choices at Tyseley
Understanding our customer's needs
London Midland's Strategy
Tackling ticketless travel
Big Breakfast at Birmingham New Street
Showing Westminster a joined- up approach
London Midland gets its paws on the Big
Sleuth
'Love your Community Rail Month'
Coseley adopters help promote community rail
Freshening up Fenny
Spotlight On
Storm Doris

Top Stories Week Week ending ending 3 September 25 February 2016 2017
How we are performing
The week started well for Performance, until Wednesday when a train failed at Lichfield causing more than 500
minutes delay and 17 cancellations and being the main reason for the targets for both being exceeded.
Thursday, storm Doris wreaked havoc across the network leaving London Midland with a PPM of 38.6% and the
aftermath was still being felt on Friday with the Cross City Line being suspended for the majority of the day
resulting in a PPM of 71.1% and both the delay minute and cancellations targets being exceeded.
Issues with a freight train at Denbeigh Hall on Saturday completed a difficult week by causing nearly 900 minutes
delay and 10 cancellations to London Midland services.
Thank you from Tom
Tom Joyner - Passenger Services Director
On Thursday 23 February Storm
Doris moved across the UK,
bringing heavy rain and gusts of
wind up to 94mph. Fallen trees
and damage to buildings caused
widespread disruption to travel,
including many London Midland
services.
My sincere thanks to every one of
you who worked so hard during the
severe weather. I am extremely
grateful particularly to those
colleagues that remained at
stations and on stranded trains for
many, many hours, often past their
shift end times, to make sure that
our customers and colleagues were
looked after.
I was pleased that we had no
safety accidents, despite trees
striking trains, very high winds and
other hazards. It was great to see
colleagues from right across
London Midland supporting each
other and helping our customers
during severe disruption.

Top Stories Week Week ending ending 3 September 25 February 2016 2017
About Tom's Notes
Last week we had a flurry of
interest when due to operational
demands Tom's notes and the daily
update weren't published on Friday
morning as has become custom
and practice. The comms team
asked around and came up with
some interesting facts.
Did you know?
Tom started writing daily
performance notes back in 2013.
For over eighteen months along
with a colleague he produced
updates with one primary aim, to
improve our operational
performance and mitigate against
contractual breaches. After 500
consecutive updates, the business
analysts took responsibility for
producing the data and from time
to time, other colleagues are
invited to share their views.
Tom writes his notes wherever he
is, over weekends and even when
he is away on holiday. Tom says, "I
find it an excellent way of keeping
in touch with colleagues at London
Midland, and it's only ten minutes
out of my day".
If you have any specific questions
you can email
tom.joyner@londonmidland.com
Thanks
"I know many colleagues went
above and beyond to provide the
best level of service possible in
very difficult circumstances,
working hard to try and get
everything sorted. Thanks to you
all." Richard Brooks ? Commercial
Director
"Well done to everyone who was
on duty Thursday. It was certainly
was a day to remember." Gerry
Devaney - Duty Operational
Manager Euston
Thanks to Technicians Ben Williams
and Nickolas Ross who helped
frontline colleagues at University
station on Friday. They were a
tremendous help using their railway
experience and valuable customer
service skills to support our
customers.

Top Stories Week Week ending ending 3 September 25 February 2016 2017
London Midland connecting with suppliers
On 16 February we held our first
supplier day at Innovation
Birmingham Campus, where we
took the time to focus on
relationship management,
partnership working and
collaboration; and showcase and
celebrate our shared success.
As part of our commitment to
making ongoing improvements at
London Midland, we have been
working even more closely with
suppliers to identify and deliver
enhancements and efficiencies
that our colleagues and customers
can benefit from.
Throughout the duration of our
franchise we have achieved a
significant amount and are excited
about the next phase of
improvements which will be
delivered in the coming weeks and
months.
Our supplier day was a great
opportunity to talk to suppliers
about our journey since 2007 and
to thank them for their help in
delivering our committed
obligations as part of the Direct
Award Contract.
This was also an excellent way to
focus our suppliers on our
customers, who are at the centre
of everything we do and to help
them see the important role they
play in improving the customer
service experience.
Four keynote speeches covered a
range of topics from innovation in
the customer age, to procurement
and our drive to continuously
improve. The day included an
overview of the DAC, and an
introduction to our Programme
Management Office and it is with
thanks to Imran Anwar ? Innovation
Manager and the Procurement
Team ? led by Diane- Heather
Edge- Robinson that the day went
without a glitch.
With over 70 suppliers and most
of our London Midland Contract
Owners and Managers attending,
the event was an excellent
example of finding new ways to
make things better, for colleagues,
customers and stakeholders!
"Progressive, enlightened and
genuine" ? the feedback from our
suppliers has been great. See more
of their feedback on eDepot.

Making things better Week ending 25 February 2017
Making safer choices at Tyseley
Lesley Heath - Head of Health and Safety
At London Midland, the safety of
colleagues and customers is
paramount.
We all work hard to create a safe
environment for colleagues but
there is always more we can do,
which is the reason for our Making
Safer Choices campaign.
This innovative, industry leading
campaign has been developed
from your feedback and with the
help of colleagues across the
business to help make London
Midland an even safer place to
work.
Traditional safety training often
focuses on rules - what people do
and how they do it.
While safety rules are vitally
important, it is also important to
consider the reasons behind people
not following the rules.
We want to find safety
improvements by focusing on
colleague?s mind- set and
considering why they make the
choices they do.
As part of the campaign, we are
holding 'huddles' - open and
challenging colleague discussions -
every Tuesday and Thursday at
12.00 and 19.00, giving as many
colleagues as possible the chance
to share experiences, feedback and
ideas.
Huddles will focus on the three
key areas you identified as
important for improvement - PPE,
accident investigation and near
misses and housekeeping.
Outcomes from the huddles will be
collated and displayed in the
performance centre so we can
highlight the improvements you
want and need us to make ? you
said, we did.
This campaign is not about short
term fixes but finding sustainable
solutions and improving safety
culture and behaviours.
We want colleagues to take
responsibility for their actions and
make sure safety is part of
everything we do, acting in the
right way at the right time.
We are always looking for new and
better ways to do things - if you
always do what you've always
done, you'll always get what
you've always got ? and Making
Safer Choices is just one of the
ways we are doing this.
If you have any questions or
feedback please email
safety.environment@
londonmidland.com.

Making things better Week ending 25 February 2017
Understanding our customer?s needs
Hayley Dean - Customer Experience Manager
Last Monday I had the pleasure of
attending the accessibility advisory
panel meeting. The independently
chaired panel consists of a number
of our regular customers and
representatives from RNIB, Action
on Hearing Loss, Speak Easy Now
and colleagues.
The panel plays a key role in the
delivery of accessibility
requirements, such as the Disabled
Peoples Protection Policy (DPPP)
and Minor Works scheme, and
gives colleagues across the
business an opportunity attend
meetings and present their ideas.
Being new to the railway I was
keen to learn more about the role
London Midland's Strategy
of the panel and how we all play a
part in making a difference to our
customers with accessibility needs.
They are constantly looking at
ways we can improve the service
for our customers with accessibility
needs. It was great to hear about
the recent progress that has been
made, including improvements in
the way customers are met and
assisted in joining services.
It was great to hear positive stories
of colleagues supporting our
customers ? one panel member,
Karen, was helped to board by a
platform assistant when Network
Rail hadn?t turned up, meaning she
made her train and got to meet
her son before he went on holiday.
It just goes to show that every
single day we can make a huge
difference to everyone that travels
in, around and through our
stations.
Of course, there is always room for
improvement, especially in times
of disruption. Being based at
Euston where Network Rail attend
to the majority of assists, it's all
about building better relationships
and working collaboratively to
deliver excellent customer service.
By working with the panel to
understand the real needs of the
customers that use our trains every
day, we can make a massive
difference.
We have produced a
comprehensive London Midland
Strategy document, providing one
point of reference for the strategic
direction of London Midland
throughout the remainder of our
franchise.
If you would like to know more
about our London Midland
strategy, direction, vision, values
and behaviours have a look at the
London Midland Strategy Report
on edepot as a PDF or flipbook.
A short version of the document
giving you an overview of our
strategy will be available soon.
If you have any questions please
email
engage@londonmidland.com
Tackling ticketless travel
Safyan Azad ? Revenue protection & Security Manager
On 22 February the Revenue
Protection Team carried out a
revenue block at Birmingham Moor
Street, Birmingham Snow Hill and
Jewellery Quarter stations. The
operation, in partnership with
Chiltern and the British Transport
Police (BTP), was a great success.
Not only did we issue a total of 94
penalty fares and 1 MG11 ? a total
of £718.70 - but it was also a
great opportunity to assess how
well our revenue blocks work and
make sure we have the right
resources for future opperations.
A big thank you to all those
involved, both our Revenue
Protection and Security Managers
and our colleagues from BTP,
Chiltern, and G4S.
The RPSM?s involved:
Laura Swindells ,Chris Jones, Anna
Rigby, Jelle Verwer, Carl Smith,
Steve McNutt, Benn Nolan, Daniel
Grommes, Annabelle Pryce,
Andrew Cannon, Neil Burnett,
Daniel Kidane, Earl Jordan, Margret
Saxton, John Dunbavin.

Making things better Week ending 25 February 2017
Big Breakfast at Birmingham New Street
Jennifer Plumbley ? Passenger Services Engagement Manager
Following a great morning at
Bletchley, the next Big Breakfast is
at Birmingham New Street on 28
February.
Our Senior Management team is
working hard to find more
opportunities to meet colleagues
and share relevant information
more frequently. The big breakfast
is your chance to ask your
questions and give your feedback.
If you are short on time, there will
be 'Speak Up' cards so you can
write down your question to be
answered at a later date.
Tom, Patrick and Ian are looking
forward to meeting as many of
you as possible so make sure you
drop by.
Showing Westminster a joined- up approach
Francis Thomas - Head of Corporate Affairs
One of our great strengths at
London Midland is how we work
closely with Network Rail (NR).
This has been a topic that has
been high on the political agenda
recently as MPs have criticised
TOCs and NR for not collaborating
enough.
At London Midland we regularly
hold joint briefings for MPs and
this week was no different. On this
occasion I was joined by NR
colleagues to brief local MPs on a
variety of topics including the
Birmingham New St re- signalling
project and how HS2 preparatory
works are affecting passengers
using Euston station.
Local issues were also on the
agenda; Michael Fabricant
(Lichfield) was keen to hear about
improving accessibility at Lichfield
Trent Valley. Dame Caroline
Spellman (Meriden) was keen to
hear about improvements to
Marston Green station and we
updated Adrian Bailey (West
Bromwich West) on NR's planned
upgrading platforms at Sandwell &
Dudley. All three MPs also
welcomed news that their local rail
users will soon be benefitting from
free wi- fi on our trains.

Making things better Week ending 3 September 2016
Week ending 25 February 2017
Communities and Our Network
London Midland gets its paws on The Big Sleuth
Richard Brooks - Commercial Director
We're very proud to be part of The
Big Sleuth ? this summer's big free
art event ? and help support the
incredible work taking place at
Birmingham Children's Hospital.
From travel and hospitality to
education and professional
services, the best of Birmingham
has pledged its support for the
highly- anticipated sequel to The
Big Hoot, which attracted more
than 800,000 visitors and raised
over £625,000 in 2015 for
Birmingham Children's Hospital
Charity.
London Midland joins companies
such as Vodafone, Birmingham
Airport, the Mailbox, The Schools
of King Edward VI and Harrow
Green, who have all signed up to
The Big Sleuth ? so named
because the collective noun for a
group of bears is a sleuth ? to
allow up to 100 individually
designed, giant bear sculptures to
leave their paw prints all over the
city for 10 weeks from July.
London Midland is committed to
getting closer to the communities
we serve and encouraging
healthier lifestyles across our
network. This campaign will get
people of all ages and backgrounds
out having fun as they explore the
vibrant city of Birmingham. We
believe the Big Sleuth will be a
roaring success and generate much
needed funds for this fantastic
cause.
Find out more on eDepot.
?Love your Community Rail Month?on the Abbey Line
Edna Woname - Abbey Line Community Rail Officer
The Abbey Line Community Rail
Partnership (ALCRP) was
established in June 2005 and
brings together local authorities,
the rail industry and local
businesses to promote and develop
the Abbey Line. ALCRP also works
to enhance stations and give the
local community the opportunity
to become more involved in their
railway line.
This month we are launching ?Love
your Community Rail Month?and
running an artwork and
photography competition for our
local schools. Find out more here.
In the past we have worked with
our local schools and won a
number of National Community
Rail Awards with the brilliant work
the pupils have produced and we
hope for more of the same.

Making things better Week ending 3 September 2016
Week ending 25 February 2017
Communities and Our Network
Coseley adopters help promote community rail
Faye Lambert - Community Engagement Lead
Coseley adopters kindly gave their
time to shout out about the
benefits of community rail and
station adoption at a special
presentation held 18 February.
Hosted at The Longbridge Public
Art Project space (The Longbridge
Public Art Project was conceived
and set up in September 2012 by
Claire Farrell, Director and Curator
of WERK in response to the
changing nature of Longbridge)
The event was arranged by the
WERK Longbridge project to give
local people the opportunity to
become involved in the sustainable
transformation of Longbridge
station.
Coseley adopters showed examples
of how by working in partnership
with London Midland, and Network
Rail through a special community
licence, they have transformed
their own station and other
community spaces to support
social change and improve their
area.
Thanks to this event and their help,
we are hoping to welcome and
support a new team of adopters to
Longbridge.
Freshening up Fenny
Richard Cousins - Marston Vale Service Delivery Manager
We have expanded the Station
Adoption Group at Fenny Stratford
Station. Joining the existing team
from Chadwick Lodge Hospital, are
a local residents group from Fenny
Stratford.
As the first step in our plans to
work with the local Dobbies garden
centre to improve the station, we
have installed a new water butt!
This will help the adopters add
plants and hanging baskets. Thank
you to the facilities team for their
help.
Later this week a group of young
offenders will be cleaning up some
non- public areas of the station,
removing litter and loose
vegetation.
We are working hard to turn Fenny
Stratford into one of the highest
scoring on the Marston Vale Line
station audits.

Our People Week ending 25 February 2017
Fleet Ops Roadshow
Najinderpal Heir - Fleet Safety and Performance Manager
Working collaboratively across the
business is key to finding
improvements that benefit both
colleagues and customers.
The Fleet Ops Roadshow gives
frontline colleagues the opportunity
to meet the Fleet Maintenance,
Planning, Performance and Control
teams to find out more about the
improvements we are making, ask
your questions and offer feedback.
The Fleet Ops Roadshow will be
held at the Bletchley Management
Centre tomorrow 28 February
from 10:00 - 15:00.
We are excited to discuss the latest
developments we have planned for
the West Coast Mainline and are
keen hear your ideas and feedback.
If you would like more information
please email me.
Join the Train Team
Brenda Lawrence ? Head of Route
We all want to give our customers
the best possible service. As we
experienced last week, supporting
our customers is especially
important during times of
disruption. It was great to see so
many colleagues from across
London Midland going above and
beyond to support our customers in
very difficult circumstances.
The Train Team is a volunteer
initiative to help improve the
customer experience during periods
of disruption and I was proud to
see members of the Train Team
spring into action at very short
notice to support frontline
colleagues and customers. A
massive thank you to everyone
who helped out.
How do I get involved?
Do you want to be part of a team
that is passionate about excellent
customer service? Are you
interested in learning more about
London Midland, who our
customers are and how we keep
our service running? Do you want
to develop new skills?
Why not join the train team. We
have inductions on 22 and 24
March at 102 New Street. If you
are interested, find out more on
eDepot or speak to your manager
and email
engage@londonmidland.com.