Interview
to be able to switch between computer systems in a weekend. The worst of disruption is already over. We’re trying to refine our working practices so it becomes like shelling peas. So if we’ve got 50 bridges to do, we learn all the lessons on the first and second rather than thinking on 49th and 50th “we’re getting really good at this now!”’ One of the main problems that the Great Western franchise currently
has is overcrowding. Commuters complain of being crammed into carriages during the peak, with weekend services also very full on some routes. This will be eased after the electrification programme when capacity is increased and new Intercity Express trains are rolled out in 2016/17. Will there be much increase in capacity before the electrification is
complete? ‘The Swindon – Kemble track will be doubled this year, the signalling goes
in next. Reading – Didcot is where the capacity constraint is and the reality of that is that it doesn’t really get alleviated much until 2015, then there’s an explosion in capacity in 2015, 16, 17. It significantly increases the intercity movements into Paddington. What we’re doing at the moment is looking at the remodelling work around Paddington to maximise the number of mainline platforms we can get. It’s all aligned to 2017 and making the best use of the new trains that are coming. ‘We’re talking to the DfT about how to maximise that capacity because
we need to share it around between the new Great Western franchisee, Heathrow Express and Crossrail.’ Network Rail is under pressure from the Office of Rail Regulation to reduce its costs, with annual efficiency targets to meet. The McNulty value- for-money report argued that the rail industry had to work together to reduce costs across the board. Part of the rational for the devolution was so that Network Rail’s new self-contained regions could work more closely with the Tocs on their patch to look for joint efficiencies. However, the first region to devolve – Wessex – had to double its staff from 1,500 to 3,000 to take on work that used to be done centrally. It’s hard to see how this could lower costs.
Has Hallgate seen some costs rise? ‘There’s an element of it,’ he admits. ‘But there may be situations where
additional staff are needed in the short term, but can be rationalised further down the line.’ There are areas where he believes there will be overall cost savings in the future, though. ‘We’ve already seen areas where we’re aligning planning into CP5. So if
you’re replacing a bridge, you could replace the track as well. We’re having much more long-term conversations about things like that. We’re looking, too, at getting best value from an industry perspective. So, if the revenue from running trains more than outweighs the cost of the cancellation for engineering works, can you put the revenue of the train towards the cost of a more inefficient way of doing the project and say it’s worth running the trains? At the moment everything’s geared to lower project costs, even if that means putting people on buses.’ He is already talking to the shortlisted bidders for Great Western
about savings that could be made by working more closely together. These negotiations are all confidential, Hallgate stresses, but he gives a generic example of the way stations will be tackled in future. ‘We are looking at stations – how we can take out the cost duplication
of stations. I don’t have an ideal way of doing it, but, at the moment, we go through repainting a station every few years in different colours for the shorter franchises. Everyone is agreed that it’s not the right thing to do and we could take costs straight out of the industry. If you can align objectives through the franchise model, you can align objectives on a day-to-day basis.’ Hallgate seems to be enjoying his new job, though he’s only properly been in post since the end of last year. ‘If I was to write a perfect job spec for a job I knew I would love, this
would be it! You’ve got the elements of control you require, we’ve also got a very supportive board saying if you do want to do more or you want to challenge us more, please do let us know what you need.’
MAY/JUNE 2012 PAGE 17
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