“Look at Southeastern. They’ve had a bit of a blip recently, but if you look over the last six months or so, performance has actually been really good. I see really good collaboration with the operator and Network Rail. I see good stakeholder engagement. That said, I don’t see a plan for the future, but that’s partly because of the franchising process.”
Through the glass wall I can see Haines’ PA hovering, ready to tell him he’s about to be late for his next appointment, so I quickly squeeze in one last question. He has been very brave in criticising the Ordsall Chord project outcome, because no one had planned how so many trains were going to cross six flat junctions within a few miles. And combined with some de-scoping, some very major problems remained. Worse, the scheme’s success had been badly compromised…?
Haines doesn’t disappoint: “It comes back to my point about devaluing operational expertise. What happened there is that pursuit of some marginal value engineering made the whole thing far less workable.”
Could you be more specific?
“Some functionality was taken out.”
Wasn’t there some four-tracking taken out at Castlefield? That was de-scoping, though, wasn’t it?
“Yes. There is a proposition on the table to add four tracks, for Platform 15 and 16 at Piccadilly. But if all you do is four-track Piccadilly, do you know how many extra trains you get? One train an hour! You could spend a million pounds - and just get one extra train an hour.”
Secretary of State Chris Grayling has claimed that digital signalling will resolve this issue, rather than extra infrastructure?
“Digital signalling might indeed solve the problem eventually, when you have a large part of the North West system covered by a traffic management system. But what you can’t do is set up traffic management just for the two miles either side of the Ordsall Chord.”
And with that our time is up. Haines is off to his next meeting, leaving NR Head of Media Kevin Groves and myself to tidy up and grab coffee on the mezzanine outside, overlooking the Waterloo concourse.
We’re halfway through our coffee when Chairman Sir Peter Hendy bustles up to join us, having just polished off the last of his favourite Haribo Tropifruit sweets.
“How’d it go?” asks Peter breezily. “He’s a good bloke with some great ideas and endless energy and determination. We’re all committed to working with him to make a big difference. You’ll see.”
We will, Peter. We will. I’m really looking forward to watching Haines’ plan unfold. ν
