The industry must work together to build a simple, separated and sustainable railway in the post-Covid world, Network Rail’s North West & Central Region MD Tim Shoveller told the Golden Whistles conference.
Combined with the creation of Great British Railways and the outputs of the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the emergence from the pandemic provides a once in a generation opportunity for the railway to change. This includes making the most of the operational expertise which exists within the industry, bringing organisations together so they can work to solve problems.
Operating challenges
Indeed, the last 24 months through the pandemic have demonstrated the importance of operators. There has been innovation and a determination to adapt and work together, not just through the initial stages of the pandemic but also through the ‘pingdemic’ last summer and most recently through the omicron wave – and during these periods network performance has been better than many expected. Colleagues across the industry are having conversations which would not have been possible two years ago, indicating that the industry has moved to a more mature position.
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