RAILWAY INDUSTRY

TRAIN PLANNING

LEVEL 2 TRAININGModule 2 - Who, What Why?

Train Planning

Five things to think about

Do WE know WHAT we do ?

Do WE understand WHY we do it ?

Do WE know WHO we do it for ?

Do our CUSTOMERS know WHAT we do ?

Do our CUSTOMERS understand WHY we do it ?

Putting the Railway into perspective

Vital statistics -

• 20,000 miles of track

• 34,000 train movements per day

– 92% passenger 8% freight

• 2,500 stations

• Currently 20 (Franchised), 9 (Open Access) TOCs, and 5 principal FOCs

Network Rail

• Manages development and delivery of the timetabling process

• Maintains and renews the network

• Manages signalling

• Prohibited from being a train operator

Train Operating Companies

• Currently 20 franchised passenger operators• 9 “Open Access” operators not operating under “franchise” conditions

• That is without any Tax-payer support

• All services shown in the National Rail Timetable (last ‘officially’ printed edition May 2007, now free on Network Rail web site).

• Generic term includes 5 principal Freight Operators

Train Operating Companies

• Three broad categories of train services

• Long distance ‘Inter City’

• Regional

• Commuter and suburban

(Some TOCs cover all categories)

• Lease Rolling Stock from ROSCOs

• Operate over Network Rail infrastructure

What is NR Operational Planning ?

• The activity concerned with planning and documenting the allocation of network capacity to all Railway Undertakings.

• Specifically within Network Rail it is the department dealing with

–Timetable Planning

• Track Access

–Engineering Planning

• Engineering Access

Operational Planning

•Works to processes set down in legislation and overseen by the ORR, DfT, etc

• Impacts on Network Rail’s revenue stream

–225,000 train paths every week

–Selling un-used or ‘white space’, is a key activity

•Has a major impact on TOCs income and costs

•Plans access to the infrastructure for maintenance and renewal of the network

Network Rail Planning Inputs

• Network Code – Part D

• Track Access Agreements

• Geographic/diagrammatic maps of the network e.g. Sectional Appendix

• Requests for Access

• (Bids)

• Maintenance and renewal strategies

• i.e what we need to do the job

Network Rail Planning Outputs

• Responses to access requests

• Published Train Service Schedules (TSDB)

• Working Timetables (WTT)

• Public Timetables (NRT)

• Weekly/Daily Amended Train Notices (WATN/DATN)

• Weekly Operating Notice (WON)

• i.e what we produce

Network Rail Planning ‘Tools’

• Rules of the Route

• Rules of the Plan

• TrainPlan/ITPS

• Bplan

• Capacity Management system - Railsys

• Possession Planning System - PPS

• i.e what we use to produce a plan

TOCs

• Inputs

• Network Code• Access Agreements• Franchise requirements (SLCs/PSRs)

• Outputs• Timetable specification• Supporting pocket timetables, etc• Meeting customers’ needs

• Tools• Rules of the Route/Plan• Voyagerplan/TrainPlan• Bplan• Therefore very much the same …………………….

Where does Operational Planning sit within Network Rail?

Train PlanningCentre

Operational Planning

Customer Relations Executives

PCATOther Train Planning Centres

General Managers

NAUOPSU

Ops & Customer Services

Route Directors

Territory Maintenance Directors

Major Projects & Investment

Engineering

National Delivery Service

TPC Organisation

Train Planning Centre Manager

Capacity Allocation Manager

Network TrainsManager

Informed TravellerManager

Schedule IntegrityManager

SNFC (Leeds only)

Sample TOC Organisation Chart

Head of Planning & Access

Timetable Production Manager

Amended Access

Manager

Service Planning Assistant

Timetable Production Assistant

Timetable Planning Manager

Timetable

Planning Assistant

Timing Managers

(STP)

Planning Assistants

(STP)

Module 2 Syndicate Questions

Q1. With which external bodies/customers does

NR Operational Planning work and in what way ?

Q2. Who are the customers of a Train Operator’s train plans ?

Q3. (a) Why is pleasing the customer so important

(b) What does a customer want from a supplier ?