IAN BEVAN
Recovering performance levels The recent publication of the National Passenger Survey results was a frustrating time for Northern, which saw customer satisfaction levels down on last year, despite the introduction of new train wash plants and increased staff visibility. 'We were disappointed with the drop but we know that
the punctuality of trains is one of the key concerns and during the survey period our services were affected by some exceptional weather. Since then we have been working hard to recover the performance to levels our passengers rightly expect,' says Bevan.
'These results, supported by our own independent customer research and mystery shopping help us identify the changes and improvements our customers really want to see. We’re out and about more than ever these days, talking to passengers at our stations and on-board our trains. We’ve increased our presence on social media, primarily Twitter, in order to get right-time information out to our passengers as quickly as possible.' Bevan continued: 'We were encouraged to see the
majority of our individual scores improve or remain stable, particularly the cleanliness and overall station environment, cleanliness of the inside of the train, the room available on-board our trains and the helpfulness of our staff at stations, which reflects some of the direct feedback we’ve gathered from our passengers. We know that we can do more to meet their expectations and we’ll be continuing with the refurbishment of our trains including some of our oldest - installing more information screens at stations and improving the quality of information we provide during times of disruption.'
An evolving fleet Northern inherited an ageing and complex fleet, with 14 types of train now totalling 313 units. This structure of mixed diesels and electrics makes it difficult to interchange vehicles and as such some parts of its network board the same type of unit on a regular basis.
'Our fleet is something we are constantly working to evolve for passengers,' says Bevan. 'So far we have refurbished almost 72 per cent of it and improved reliability by 60 per cent. Our customers in the north east are benefiting from a refurbishment programme of the 142 Pacer units at the moment, a project that for us sees sizeable investment in our fleet to help improve our customers' journeys.' It was hard to ignore at the time and now it is official, but the summer of 2012 was the wettest on record and Northern wasn’t the only operator to suffer. Nationwide, the industry experienced some of the most catastrophic conditions in years, conditions which today even warrant their own Wikipedia entry.
'June and July were extremely difficult times; persistent rain on waterlogged ground led to widespread flooding and line closures for us, even landslides in some areas. Our front line staff coped miraculously during this disruption, especially those deployed to our more rural stations. It was exceptional weather but we saw our people make an outstanding impact.'
Public taking more of an interest in rail The rail industry has seemed to be in the limelight recently; a definite shift in focus has happened and in the wake of the media buzz surrounding the in's and out's of the West Coast franchise, it does seem the British public has taken more of an interest in the industry.
Explains Bevan: 'Last year we were approached by
Century Films, a production company who wanted to do for the railways and train operators what BBC2’s ‘The Tube’ had done for London Underground. It was an exciting opportunity to be able to show their crew the day-to-day on Northern’s network. Our people, our customers, life’s little triumphs and of course, the challenges we face on a daily basis.
‘They worked with three of our employees: Jason, a driver on the Real Ale Trail, Bridie, a conductor on the busy Leeds – Manchester commuter service and Imran, one of our gate-line operatives at Leeds station. No glitz or glamour, the programme told it how it is and we were thrilled with the outcome and delighted with the positive feedback to staff from customers.' People play an important role in Northern’s
accomplishments; with more than 4,900 employees, half
of whom are drivers and conductors, spread across the network, staff engagement comes high on the list of priorities. 'Our aim is to make sure we're one of the most respected railway companies in the UK when it comes to inclusion,' says Bevan, 'and we work just as hard to make sure that our people feel respected too. It's a two-way relationship that makes every one of us feel socially, ethically and culturally rewarded. 'We launched a number of forums made up of volunteers across the business to spread the message of diversity and inclusion by promoting, developing and supporting these groups.'
300 per cent rise in female applicants With women constituting 15 per cent of today’s rail industry, Northern is a member of the Women in Rail group which works to support and encourage the minority in a sector which is historically male-dominated. Since starting out as a virtual forum for women to connect and exchange ideas on the rail industry, the group now raises awareness and engages with supporters of the sector and is set to launch its first event this month, a year after launching online via social networking site LinkedIn. Says Bevan: 'A recent recruitment campaign saw a rise of
more than 300 per cent in the number of female applicants putting themselves forward to drive trains across the north of England, and since 2009 we’ve seen a growth in female applicants across the business, from 11 to 15.5 per cent. We’re committed to changing the traditional perception of the rail industry as an employer and have made it a priority to introduce more diversity across the industry.' There has never been a brighter future for rail in the north of England - the extension of Northern’s franchise to April 2014 is a testament to its commitment to passengers. 'We’re looking to the future now', says Bevan. 'An
announcement is just around the corner and we are poised and ready to act to help accelerate growth in the north.'
Page 116 April 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204