R A I LT R AC K - The Railways Archive

progress
Over the past
12 months, we have
delivered on all the
key objectives set out
in last year’s NMS
28
3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4
3.1 Summary
In the 1998 Statement we set out our Plan which involved
expenditure of over £2bn in 1998/99 to sustain the network,
improve network outputs and deliver specific investment
schemes.Following consultation on,and review of the 1998
NMS, we provided further commitments in a number of
areas including performance, track quality and consultation
with customers and funders on their reasonable
requirements.
In summary, over the past 12 months, we have
delivered on all the key objectives set out in last year’s NMS
– train performance, track quality, new consultative processes
with our customers and funders,new approaches to
managing maintenance contractors,progress on the Station
Regeneration Programme, renewal and enhancement of the
network and resolving the Year 2000 issue.
3.2 Operational performance
Delays attributable to our contractors and to ourselves have
fallen, but despite substantial progress we are likely to just fall
short of delivering our overall target of 7.5% year-on-year
improvement.The main reasons for this are weather related
(particularly flooding) and poor performance in our Great
Western Zone. Increasingly, effective management processes,
together with development and implementation of joint
schemes with customers,have yielded positive results eg a
27% reduction in minutes delay for Merseyrail Electrics,
compared with the previous year, achieved through targeted
investment and maintenance of key assets,and aiming for
continued and consistent performance improvement across
their operating area.
We have changed the approach to the management of
our maintenance contractors,making more use of key
performance indicators and adopting a more collaborative
approach.The performance of the contractors in the year
has been varied but the programme to focus on key assets
and route sections is beginning to pay dividends.
3.3 Track quality
During the course of 1998, we have prepared a track-quality
improvement programme for the two years to March 2001.
This programme sets out our objectives to reduce the level
of track not meeting our 100% standard to the maximum
reasonably practicable. It also sets out our commitment to
ensure that the proportion of track achieving the 50% and
90% standards is no lower than the levels achieved at
1 April 1994.
3.4 Infrastructure support
We have ordered 25 mu l t i p u rpose vehicles costing a total of
£33M to counter the effects that bad weather has on our
p e r fo rm a n c e.These vehicles clean the rail-head with a high-
pressure water spray and lay a gel to help trains avoid slipping
d u ring the leaf-fall season.They are also fitted with adjustabl e,
miniature snow p l o u g h s .A d d i t i o n a l ly, a number of the
mu l t i p u rpose vehicles will be able to undert a ke we e d -
s p ray i n g , fire-damping and de-icing activities.The fi rst two
vehicles are due for delive ry for testing in summer this ye a r,
with the remainder delivered between autumn 1999 and the
end of 2000.
In the past year, we have refurbished 22 snowploughs
and 15 breakdown-and-recovery support vehicles.We have
let a contract for the overhaul of our fleet of five telescopic-
jib 75-tonne breakdown-and-recovery cranes,which will be
completed in July 1999.
We have bought eight stoneblowers to improve the
maintenance and renewal of track,and have a further three
on order for delivery in the coming year.We are continuing
the development and implementation of our high-output
reballasting system.Our contracting strategy for plain line
track-renewals delivery has enabled a supplier to announce
plans to procure a high-output track-relaying train.
We are developing remote condition monitoring for
plant equipment,and new specifications for mechanical and
electrical services at stations and depots.