20 October 2010
Rail industry consultation on 30-year technical strategy
A senior rail industry body has initiated a consultation on the development of the next
Rail Technical Strategy, due for publication in 2012.
The Technical Strategy Advisory Group (TSAG) has begun the on-line consultation, with
its publication ‘Shaping the 30-year Rail Technical Strategy’ which takes stock of where
industry is, and seeks wide engagement in forming and developing the strategy.
At the heart of thinking is the 30-year aspiration, which TSAG has established to guide
its work - to halve the cost of rail operations and its carbon footprint while doubling
network capacity and increasing customer satisfaction. These challenges resonate with
both the government spending review and the Value for Money review being conducted
by Sir Roy McNulty and support the industry’s Planning Ahead process. By setting the
bar deliberately high, TSAG wants to inspire ambitious thinking now, to secure a
sustainable future and long term value for money.
The consultation document has been emailed to a wide range of rail industry personnel
in all companies making up the GB rail industry to encourage those leading engineering,
operations, commercial, performance and planning disciplines to provide their input.
Alongside that, a four-page brief has been sent to managing directors and chief
executives to provide a concise overview of the challenges ahead.
Crucial to industry’s ability to make the right call at the right time on technology is its
ability to undertake research. TSAG has identified five ‘game changers’ which need to
be researched and developed now so that decision makers can identify and draw on the
appropriate benefits and take technology decisions with a 30-year perspective. The
game changers are to:
Enable innovation, not re-invention
Establish next generation traffic management
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimile: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675
Optimise energy strategy
Build in whole system reliability
Provide smarter data and communications
RSSB’s Director of Policy, Research and Risk, Anson Jack, and member of TSAG
explains: ‘Rail plays an essential role in driving sustainable economic growth, providing
access for passengers into and between the major economic centres and fulfilling a vital
position in the supply chain to get goods to market. Having the right technology at the
right time to meet this role is key to rail’s success and TSAG is showing leadership by
anticipating these needs and securing development and research to enable industry to
achieve these goals.’
‘The railway needs an updated technical strategy to support its business objectives and
think long term. TSAG has outlined the state of play in the consultation document and
we want industry and others who can contribute to take part.’
‘Shaping the 30-year Rail Technical Strategy’ and all relevant information about the
consultation and how to take part is available on the TSAG website at:
http://www.futurerailway.org/Pages/consultation.aspx or email
tsagconsultation2010@rssb.co.uk
-EndsFor media enquiries, please contact the RSSB press office, on 020 3142 5331/ 5332 or
email pressoffice@rssb.co.uk or visit the website on www.rssb.co.uk
Notes to editors:
1. Working with our partners RSSB’s purpose is to help the industry to:
Continuously improve the level of safety in the rail industry
Drive out unnecessary cost
Improve business performance
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimile: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675
2. The Technical Strategy Advisory Group (TSAG) is a cross-industry expert body,
facilitated by RSSB, and made up of senior executive staff from Network Rail, train and
freight operating companies, rolling stock companies, suppliers, research institutions,
Department for Transport, Office of Rail Regulation, Transport Scotland and RSSB itself.
TSAG is charged with developing and championing implementation of the strategy,
supporting communication, managing strategic research, identifying opportunities,
barriers and actions.
3. TSAG works with the System Interface Committees and other cross-industry groups in
sponsoring research in an RSSB-managed programme. The research will help industry
to make the right call at the right time and enables research institutions to clearly see
what the industry needs and have confidence that their work will be applied and deliver
benefit. The result of this work will be decisions grounded in evidence on how
technology is applied to meet defined future requirements.
4. RSSB provides the R&D capability to industry to develop new knowledge to support
industry action and decision making across a range of issues, in response to the data,
information and analysis it gleans. It is funded primarily by Department for Transport.
Research is generally proposed by RSSB members (major rail industry stakeholders
such as Network Rail and train operating companies), and it can be undertaken in any
area that supports the improved performance of the GB railway system. It focuses on
industry-wide research that no individual company or sector of the industry can address
on its own. RSSB is an efficient means of delivering the programme under one roof,
saving the industry money.
RSSB Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY
Telephone: +44 (0)20 3142 5300 Facsimile: +44 (0)20 3142 5301 www.rssb.co.uk
Rail Safety and Standards Board Limited Registered Office: Block 2 Angel Square 1 Torrens Street London EC1V 1NY Registered in England No. 04655675