A general Network Rail thread

[daccer]

My only real contact with the railways in the Uk nowdays comes from forums such as this and the trade press. I do get back every year or so and try and do some rail travel includign an ALR in 2008. As a periodic visitor i do get a better idea of the changes affecting the railways than someone who experiences the railways every day and who would therefore see changes in a more incremental way.

The biggest difference i can normally see is that Network Rail are getting to grips with the job at hand and starting to make some real progress finally. I was wondering what the general consensus is on Network Rail and is it an improving business or one with serious flaws. Please highlight areas where they are doing well and others were they are failing. For me the PPM is an important figure as it is an easy gauge of how things are going. Of Course it can be manipulated but the recent figures are encouraging.

Anyway feel free to vent your frustrations or pass on your plaudits to NR as they play a crucial role in getting our network to where it needs to be.

 

[GB]

I was wondering what the general consensus is on Network Rail

I await OT's reply

 

[merlodlliw]

Anyway feel free to vent your frustrations or pass on your plaudits to NR as they play a crucial role in getting our network to where it needs to be.[/QUOTE]

Interesting thought, but as NR are a monopoly, it is difficult to, measure them
against themselves, but in general far better then Railtrack ever was.
NR do now have real rail men in Euston, but its admin appears to me far too much in a comfort zone.


my opinion

 

[Spartacus]

NR are far better than Railtrack but in the last couple of years a few decisions have been made that most people in the know believe will cause nothing but problems in the not too distant future, probably after those who've caused them have gone.

 

[SquirrelJunction]

Interesting thought, but as NR are a monopoly, it is difficult to, measure them
against themselves, but in general far better then Railtrack ever was.
NR do now have real rail men in Euston, but its admin appears to me far too much in a comfort zone.

I have to agree in some respects, while having no knowledge in others.

NR Recruitment and the admin teams surrounding it are getting rather slow and dire. While Front line managers (IE LOM's and MOM's) are bearing thebrunt of it and trying to keep things stable and ticking over, Manchester (or Brum,or somewhere north of the M4) appear to have the ever increasing desire to slap a spanner in the works.

From what I can tell from a number of recent entrants, closing date to school for external candidates averages between 7 and 10 months, generally down to the HR and admin side of Recruitment. If you lose two or three staff from a group of boxes (or panels) and have to wait that long; plus 3 months of school; plus local training, then you are seriously behind!

I could go further and relate instances of this, however it would be unwise of me to on a public forum, for obvious reasons.