For the two franchises based wholly or mostly in the region (Northern and Trans-Pennine), the new structure will simplify relationships. Instead of negotiating with myriad local councils, Rail North will set a common agenda. But what of the operators that merely pass through: Virgin’s West and East Coast, Midland Main Line, CrossCountry and all those freight trains?
“For Northern and Trans-Pennine it will be a massive step forward. Things will be much clearer. For the others we need to speak as a northern set of authorities and feed our priorities into the future franchise management. That currently is very fragmented - voices are sometimes not heard at all. We have the opportunity to put forward a single view.”
Brown spoke to RailReview in detail last year about his plans for smart ticketing (RailReview Q4-2015). How has this evolved?
Not much, it appears: “Our job is to put in something which improves personal mobility. It will bring the same attributes as London’s Oyster card but it will not be the same technology. It will share the ability to move between different modes and different places on a single card.
“The technology is changing at a rate of knots. My children have lots of personal accounts on their phones - music, banking, online shopping. They want a single personal mobility account.
“We will agree an implementation plan in the next couple of months. I come from a customer perspective - I am less concerned about the specific technology. Within the next couple of years we will have concepts to test across the North.
“We know the rail industry is looking at barcodes. The bus industry is committed to moving to contactless bank cards by 2022. We don’t want to duplicate that work. But we do not want to get dragged now into committing to which technology we will use.”
The DfT is bogged down in its favoured South East Flexible Ticketing programme. There is no suggestion that the two operations will share a common platform, just as SEFT and Transport for London’s pay as you go systems are incompatible.
Does the Department really understand how much it will have to change as regions go their own way? Will it move from a controlling leadership role to a mere co-ordinating and supporting one?
“Tricky question,” admits Brown diplomatically, anxious not to cause offence to his single most important relationship. “The legislation is there now. Over time the whole of England will create a network of sub-national transport bodies. The implication is that the Department for Transport will have to change. There is clearly a ministerial push to deliver this. And certain parts of the Department are keen.
“Central government has to change with us. These are formidable changes because the old system of control has been in place for a long time. It’s not about taking powers away from others, it’s about Transport for the North adding value. DfT will need to respond in kind.”
What’s in it for Brown? He came from two years in the top job at Merseytravel. Then he set up Rail North, which is now becoming the franchising arm of the wider Transport for the North.
But this isn’t a job where he can get his hands dirty. There are no operational issues to fix, no crises to fight, nor big teams of workers to lead. In fact, he has hardly any staff at all. So where’s the buzz for a man who clearly thrives on big challenges?
“I had a great time on Merseyside. But this is the first sub-national transport body. By the end of this Parliament, new responsibilities and powers will have been devolved to us. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
A typical day, he says, starts with a local rail commute into the office by 0730. This particular Monday morning started with a series of internal meetings about the week ahead. Then it was time to share experiences with Midlands Connect, followed by an hour with RailReview. The afternoon would be filled with checking on the various workstreams in progress, and finish with drafting a Memorandum of Understanding for working with the Scottish Government on cross-border issues.
So it’s a desk job in Manchester?
“Tomorrow I’m in Liverpool for a range of meetings about the Liverpool city region and then with freight operators and their customers. On Wednesday, John Cridland and I are in Leeds and then Newcastle.”
Cridland was Director General of the CBI until last year. Well-connected and influential, he is an ideal chairman for TfN. But his contract is for just 30 days a year - far less than one day a week. Can he be an effective leader with so little commitment?
“I have to say he has been brilliant. But we are using a lot of his time already, so we may have to negotiate for more days. He is very keen to represent the north in London with key decision-makers, but also to get out and about. We’ve used him a lot in discussions with central government and business.”
Brown is undoubtedly regarded as one of the bright sparks of the transport world. He has run South Yorkshire and Merseytravel. Now he gets to join them together. With equally well-regarded Alex Hynes staying on at Arriva’s new Northern franchise, it’s a strong pairing.
“I’ve worked in north of England transport for 26 years, both local government and private sector. This is a huge opportunity to bring together all that I have done and all the people I have worked with. It can put in place a clear, comprehensive, progressive transport system.
“In the next five years we will see in the North four or five times more investment in services, rolling stock and infrastructure than in the whole of the previous 25 years. It really is the opportunity of a lifetime.”
But what does that mean for Joe Bloggs, heading to the Job Centre for an interview? Someone who walks a bit, takes the bus a bit, hops on the train occasionally. When will he notice all this top-level empire building filtering down to street or platform level?
“Around 2017,” replies Brown with complete confidence. “Later this year we will have a plan. Between 2017 and 2019 people will see new trains, more services, new levels of customer service, WiFi on trains. By 2022 we will have electrified some of the North. And by then we will have a clear strategy for the next ten to 15 years to improve both the rail and the road networks. It is an evolving story. But this is not just about jam tomorrow.”
But surely a lot of that is driven by the organic growth of the regional economy. It is driven by working people slowly emerging from the years of recession, feeling more cash in their pockets and spending some of it on travel. The inextricable link between economic wealth and the distance and frequency of travel is well documented. Can Brown really claim that his predicted “explosion” in demand is down to a restructuring of the administration?
“Absolutely. All the franchising stuff is down to Rail North. The clarity, the focus, the bringing forward of new schemes will be about us in Transport for the North leveraging the best deals out of the national agencies.”
Separating the evidence of the specific differences made by the new organisation will not be easy. But there is no doubting the enthusiasm and commitment, and no doubting the goodwill coming from most of the transport and political groups that TfN will have to cajole. Maybe it will be more straightforward than herding cats… but not much.
- Read on for Alex Hynes' views on Transport for the North, in his interview with Paul Clifton
