With the rail industry undergoing a transformation and with revenue from passengers at an all-time low, it has never been more important to justify rail’s value for money to the Treasury - and, importantly, our contribution to society and the economy.
It’s even more important when, in the wake of the pandemic, the country’s finances are troubling, and the coffers are empty. To ensure rail maintains its funding and support from Government, we must align industry objectives to wider government and invest to deliver positive social outcomes.
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SOCIAL VALUE?
Social value is a relatively new term, but not a new concept when it comes to rail. Social value is intrinsic to rail’s purpose and operation, as we provide access to employment opportunities, leisure activities, goods and services.
However, when it comes to social value, we need to go beyond the core purpose of rail travel and transfer of goods. Social value is the contribution to the long-term wellbeing and resilience of individuals, communities, and society in general. Social value refers to the wider benefits created by:
■ The services we provide.
■ The infrastructure we maintain and build.
■ The operation of our company.
■ How we develop and empower our staff.
Social value is defined by Social Value UK as “the quantification of the relative importance that people place on the changes they experience in their lives”. Some (but not all) of this value is captured in market prices. Hence, it is important to consider and measure social value from the perspective of those affected.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RAIL?
Rail should aim to maximise its contribution to the life of the nation - our passengers and freight customers, neighbours, communities, and our people - increasing trust and strengthening rail’s economic and social impact.
By consistently delivering social value, rail’s reputation and media coverage could improve. Trust with our passengers, customers and local communities will improve over time.
When I think of social value, I consider it from the following five key areas:
Community: Through rail’s assets and operations, deliver a positive impact working with local communities; improving connections and cohesion; ensuring safety, health and wellbeing; and supporting diversity and inclusion. For example - supporting Community Rail and other charity partnerships, integrating community voice into decision-making, improving air quality around stations and reducing noise and nuisance, providing safe and secure journeys.
Accessibility: Deliver consistent, inclusive and accessible rail services to everyone, from customer service to design that is consistent, reliable and easy to engage with. Accessible design, consistent signage and communication, and training frontline staff.
Economic prosperity and regeneration: Supporting local economic growth and COVID recovery through levelling-up; supporting local businesses with greater emphasis on placemaking; using rail and its assets as a catalyst for regeneration and development. Examples include providing links to stations to deprived communities, buying from local suppliers, mutuals and social enterprises.
Workforce: Everyone working (in the sector) has a fulfilling, challenging, flexible and modern role. Our workforce will be diverse and inclusive, it will reflect the people and communities it serves, and it will have the skills and capabilities to deliver for passengers. Examples include jobs for people from unrepresentative/deprived background, living wage, apprenticeships, training and upskilling, workforce engagement, and career progression.
Environment and climate change: Deliver a class-leading environmentally sustainable railway that has a clear path to zero carbon and continuous improvement in all of its environmental impacts. Examples will include weather resilience and climate change adaptation, delivering a circular economy, water and waste management, and decarbonisation.
It will be no surprise that to deliver positive social and economic outcomes, social value should be integrated throughout the business and project lifecycle, where leadership is key.
