Foreword
Mark Phillips
Chief Executive, RSSB
Mark PhillipsChief Executive, RSSB
Westminster’s Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander MP, recently outlined her priorities for the rail industry: providing punctual and reliable journeys, maintaining safety, and fostering a modern workforce to drive innovation. She emphasised the need to improve train performance to support economic growth, job creation, housing development, and opportunities. The railway is key to unlocking economic, social, and environmental value. RSSB’s business plan aims to help the industry achieve these goals by actively contributing to better safety and lower operating costs through improved guidance and standards, as well as supporting the rail reform agenda.
Our tools and services are designed to enhance the capabilities of your organisation’s people. We offer solutions that assist frontline workers in providing services to fare payers. In the coming year this will include improved rules and advanced training for managing train operations during disruptions. Additionally, we will provide tools for asset managers and control centres to effectively organise train services during periods of adverse weather conditions, such as high winds and rainfall.
The industry will be under significant pressure to manage costs efficiently. Therefore, we will rigorously evaluate system standards, safety rules, and guidance to ensure improvements can be achieved at reduced costs. At RSSB, we acknowledge the urgent need to deliver core services for fare payers and freight businesses irrespective of ownership models and organisational changes, as legislation is advanced to establish GBR.
I strongly advocate for innovation and am highly optimistic about the opportunities that digital transformation will bring to the industry. We are already integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into various tools and services, including our new Safe Insights platform, which was launched in March 2025. Additionally, we will introduce Health Insights and develop data visualisations for Sustainability Insights later this year.
The Transport Secretary has appropriately emphasised the importance of addressing fundamental issues for fare payers and promoting economic growth. RSSB is committed to assisting its members in achieving these objectives.
