Helping you save costs with our tools and resources
Start using our tools and resources to save money, optimise operations, and ensure the safety and reliability of rail.
Across the entire GB rail network, it is estimated that up to £20 million annually could be saved in fuel costs alone. How? If avoidable engine idling was reduced. This substantial potential saving is around 8.5% of total diesel usage. Reducing engine idling has significant benefits for noise reduction and air quality improvement as well.
We’ve developed a Good Practice Guide to help rail operators realise these savings. By understanding what is ‘avoidable idling’ and what isn’t, you can target where to change operational practices. This way, the industry can cut down on unnecessary and substantial fuel expenses.
Efficiency in monitoring the wheelset condition of freight wagons can lead to substantial cost reductions. The sector already uses data from the Wheel Impact Load Detector (WILD) system which is installed on Network Rail infrastructure. WILD identifies faulty wheelsets that pose derailment risks or could damage the track.
Collaboration with the University of Huddersfield has led to new methods of analysing this data so that issues in wheelset condition can be detected earlier. The new approach means the sector can proactively manage wheelset maintenance schedules, enhance service reliability, and improve its offer to new customers. All of these have positive financial benefits.
We have revamped our standards and guidance on the medical fitness of safety-critical staff. These are now aligned with the latest best practices and medical advances. By consolidating two standards into one, we’ve created a clearer, more consistent approach to assessing and managing staff fitness. This helps reduce delays caused by medical issues and ensures that only necessary restrictions are applied. We’re helping to prevent the loss of skilled workers too.
The new guidance supports the industry in maintaining a fit workforce while complying with the Equality Act 2010. The estimated financial benefits of these changes amount to £17.8 million over the next 5 years.
We launched a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) tool 10 years ago to support safety-related decisions. The CBA tool was based on a robust framework known as ‘Taking Safe Decisions’. The CBA tool helps the industry understand what is reasonably practicable, so that unnecessary costs when making safety decisions can be avoided.
Now, we are refreshing this tool by converting the old spreadsheet-based version to a web-based format. This will make it easier to use and reduce costs associated with performing a CBA assessment from scratch. The updated tool will go with comprehensive guidance in a single document, removing the need to consult multiple sources. It still uses the Taking Safe Decisions framework, which we are also revising the training for. Overall, the new tool is designed for intuitive use, so more people will be able to make CBA decisions, and more easily.
Climate change has made extreme weather events such as extreme rainfall or extreme wind more frequent. We need to improve the operational responses to such events. In recent years, rail has used blanket speed restrictions (BSRs) to prevent accidents when there’s been extreme weather. The problem with this approach is that BSRs can prevent accidents—but they can also cause delays and additional risks across the network, as well as financial penalties.
To address this, we developed the PRIMA tool (Proportionate Risk Response to Implementing Mitigating Speed to Assets) in collaboration with Network Rail. PRIMA helps route planners decide in advance which speed restrictions should be applied to specific sections of a route during heavy rainfall. This proactive approach minimises knock-on effects, the risk of delays, and the associated financial penalties.
This year we are developing PRIMA further to include strong winds as an option as well. Even if there’s extreme wind, rail will be able to keep its services running effectively and avoid financial penalties from delays.
These are just some of our recent activities to help you save costs. We’re helping in other areas too, so start using our tools and resources and start saving money.
See our guidance for safety-critical workers in five different medical conditions.Get the guidance ❯