With Christmas around the corner, so Network Rail is preparing for the biggest engineering effort in recent history. This state owned enterprise is charged with operating all of Great Britain’s rail infrastructure. This year, the organization will use that goodwill to kick off a £160 million project over the entire festive period. In the process, they will close 5% of the rail network. Network Rail are committed to addressing safety and reliability concerns. They are proactive to replace the rail that is deteriorating before accidents are prevented by the safety system.
Network Rail is responsible for around 20,000 miles of public railway track throughout England, Scotland, and Wales. The organization faces unique challenges compared to rail networks in other European countries due to its layout and geographical conditions. Much of the railway in Britain is laid on clay soil. This presents problems, as the clay shrinks in warm months and expands in winter. Such challenges require in-depth engineering analyses to keep safety and operational margins intact.
This is a big, brave step from Network Rail. They are planning to deliver £3.9 billion in efficiency savings through their new five-year business plan. Of this £5 billion budget, £2.8 billion has been specifically allocated to deal with the consequences of severe weather and climate change. As extreme weather events are increasingly associated with climate change, the organization acknowledges the need to adapt its operations accordingly.
“Extreme weather caused by climate change is on the rise. This will affect how safely and reliably we can run the railway.” – Network Rail
In fact during the holiday season, ridership reaches its annual nadir. To reduce the impact, Network Rail only plans vital work during this period. According to Jake Kelly, a representative from Network Rail, “It’s the quietest time of year for the railway and our customers, so we squeeze in as much work then to disrupt as few people as possible.”
Despite these apparent logistical issues, Network Rail is able to keep a pipeline of projects that stretches three to four years into the future. They use this planning to focus on upgrades and repairs that are most needed first. Doing so better positions them to quickly respond to problems as they come up. Workers are currently re-laying a total of four tracks at the still-ongoing project near Hanslope Junction, just south of Milton Keynes. This predictive way of working is designed to improve both reliability and safety.
Network Rail’s extensive rail network is among the busiest in Europe, with nearly 500 trains using specific sections of track daily. These increased trillions of traffic exacerbate wear and tear on our infrastructure and make timely repairs all the more essential. Recent history, such as the rail disaster in Hertfordshire 25 years ago, reminds us of the important relevance of these fixes. This disaster brought to public attention the catastrophic consequences of failing to invest in crumbling rail infrastructure.
“This caused us to do loads of engineering investigations, but it also resulted in renewing an enormous amount of rail all at once in a very fast period of time.” – Mr Dennis
Throughout the festive period, Network Rail’s workforce – our orange army – simultaneously get to work on making essential upgrades. They’re working around the clock to uphold our democracy through these tumultuous times. Our frontline workers lose countless family Christmases to protect the public and keep the doors of government open. Gareth Dennis noted that “All those workers, rightly, are getting paid way over the normal rate they would because they are sacrificing extremely important family and personal time working long hours over that period.”
To help make things a little more enjoyable during what is sure to be a busy period, many teams add seasonal cheer to their habits and processes. Carl Foy shared insight into their approach: “We bring in a few mince pies, the site offices might have a bit of tinsel around. We make it as enjoyable as we can and just crack on with the work.”
Mounting inflation and supply chain expenses are putting pressure on all industries. In return, Network Rail is driving its resource spend with extreme discipline. In his closing remarks, FTA Administrator Andrew Haines reiterated the importance of prioritizing repair and rebuilding urgent work on busier parts of the network while grappling with these economic headwinds.
“Like many businesses, we continue to feel the impact of inflation and rising supply chain costs,” – Andrew Haines
Network Rail’s commitment to extensive work over Christmas underscores their dedication to maintaining a safe and reliable rail system for users across the UK. Despite the complexities involved in executing such projects during a period when families typically gather to celebrate, the organization understands that proactive measures today can prevent larger issues tomorrow.
Gareth Dennis elaborated on the unique operational challenges faced by Network Rail: “Where the country’s more of a square shape, their rail network isn’t kind of north-south; it’s much more of a grid.” This unique, in-depth layout may pose challenges logistically and from a planning perspective while performing much-needed repairs.