UK: Arriva has published a five-step plan to ‘fix Britain’s railways’ by first stabilising the network and then unlocking growth to increase usage, support public finances and drive improvements for passengers.
The Accelerating the Government’s Ambition to Fix Britain’s Railways report published on September 18 sets out recommendations which Arriva says could be implemented alongside wider rail reforms.
Stabilise the network
Arriva’s initial recommendations focus on delivering better outcomes for passengers and making more effective use of the existing assets.
It would like to see an overhaul of timetabling, with simpler processes to enable train operators to take straightforward decisions, and local and regional authorities having a role in shaping timetables, Operators could share ticket data and other information to help develop an area-wide view.
Arriva says there should be a national fleet capacity strategy to help cascade the right trains to the right places, use underused trains more effectively and provide greater certainty for investors to channel capital into rail.
It would also like to see more internal upskilling and apprenticeships to help the industry retain and get the most out of talent, and social value criteria integrated into procurement processes.
Building for growth
The recommendations for the longer-term aims to build on this.
Arriva says the government should work with operators to quickly introduce new or expanded services in the north, Midlands and Oxford - Cambridge corridor, and to expand Open access.
Arriva would like to see ‘simpler, more affordable’ ticketing, with the accelerated roll-out of pay-as-you-go and operators recruiting and retaining more employees with a specialist understanding of fares and railway operations. Arriva suggests piloting a Friday ‘peak saver’ ticket to help ‘flatten the curve’ on weekday demand and support economic activity, while reducing costs for passengers.
Optimistic, forward-looking change
‘The last few years have been a challenging time for the British railway — but now is the time for optimistic, forward-looking change under a new government’, said David Brown, Managing Director of Arriva UK Trains.
Arriva said it is the only owning group to have experience with all contract types currently in use. It runs services under the London Overground inner-suburban concession, the Chiltern Railways and CrossCountry national rail contracts, and via open access operator Grand Central.
‘There is a real opportunity to marry long-term structural reform, which Labour has set out, with further short-term improvements for passengers and the taxpayer’, said Brown. ‘Our proposals set out a series of crucial steps for the government to help deliver on that promise, accelerate their ambition to fix Britain’s railways, deliver tangible change for passengers and realise the railway’s potential as an engine of economic growth.’
