Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Not Addressed
Paragraph: 70
Consult widely on the chosen minimum service level model and implementation plan for rail.
Recommendation
At present, the lack of detail from the Department about what a minimum service level specification might look like is preventing stakeholders from being able to assess how it will affect them or those they represent. Once the Department has determined which model of minimum service level it plans to implement through regulations, it must consult on it. The Department should set out an implementation plan and consult with a wide group of stakeholders including unions, passengers and operators. The Department should also consider ways in which a set minimum service level for rail could be piloted.
Government Response Summary
The government's response explains the design of MSLs and mentions past consultation with the ORR. It does not commit to consulting on the determined model with a wide range of stakeholders or setting out an implementation plan as recommended.
Paragraph Reference:
70
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
Great Britain’s rail network has a world-leading reputation for safety, with a strong existing safety framework backed by regulations. With this in mind, and reflecting the department’s prioritisation of safety, MSLs have been designed to fit within existing safety frameworks, and the department has consulted with the ORR during the development of these regulations. MSLs do not override any existing safety rules, or obligations, and staff who are placed on work notices (requiring them to work) will follow standard safety practice for their role as normal. Reduced service as a result of strike action has the possibility of leading to overcrowding, and some passengers have reported increased crowding on trains during recent industrial action6. This is something that can cause safety issues, and is something we want to avoid. Operators currently run a reduced service during strike action relying on non-striking staff and managers or volunteers from other departments to cover the roles of those on strike, and staff are not required to declare in advance if they intend to strike or not. This means that the service on the day can be unpredictable which in turn can result in uncertainty for passengers as to expected service levels, despite communications from operators. This can result in overcrowding on some platforms and trains. MSLs will go some way to resolving this issue, by providing a higher level of service in some instances, and the ability to provide a more consistent and predictable level of service on strike days than passengers currently see, ensuring that employers are more confidently able to plan an appropriate level of staff to provide the safe operation of those services, and that passengers have clear expectations. Criterion C The ability of train companies to run services on strike days is dependent on the specific circumstances of the strike action—in particular, which staff, in which roles, are participating in industrial action—and operators’ ability to make contingency arrangements. The minimum service level must be flexible enough to be applied to different patterns of industrial action affecting different employers.