DEEP ALLIANCING DOESN’T WORK

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: november/december 2012 :: RMTnews 11 RMT has produced new figures which show that performance on the government’s pilot project for merging private train operation with infrastructure – the so-called “deep alliance” on South West Trains – is in free fall. Figures obtained by RMT show that in the first full month of the pilot on SWT performance dropped by 3.7 per cent and average punctuality on the six months to September dropped by 0.6 per cent compared to the same six months in 2011 before the “deep alliance” project was rolled out. RMT general secretary Bob Crow said that not only is the whole franchising system in chaos but the government’s own pilot for giving the private sector a controlling influence on infrastructure, under the terms of the McNulty Rail Review, is in meltdown as well. “The ‘deep alliance’ was supposed to improve punctuality and performance but as these figures show the opposite is in fact the case and passengers on this vital commuter service, facing fare hikes of up to 11 per cent in January, can see standards of service in meltdown. “The overwhelming case for scrapping McNulty and renationalising the railways is now staring the Government smack bang in the face,” he said. ‘Alliancing’ allows private train operating companies a greater say in planning Network Rail’s work on the infrastructure – or Railtrack Mark 2 as it should be more accurately known. The government’s Rail Command Paper gave more details of this policy. Most significantly, the requirement on Network Rail to produce separate accounts for each region, signaling the break-up of Network Rail as a single body, effectively allowing the TOCs to include public funds in their future budgets. As a result, the return of the dangerous and disastrous sub-contracting fiasco of the Railtrack era is just around the corner. In an echo of the way Network Rail’s track access charges were reduced to accommodate increased premium payments from TOCs to government, alliancing allows TOCs and FOCs a greater say in Network Rail’s work and expenditure at the same time as the Government is demanding cuts to the cost of rail services. It is unlikely that the rail companies won’t seek to dip their ladles into the public money flowing out of Network Rail. A deep alliance now exists between Network Rail and South West Trains on the Wessex Line and between Network Rail and Greater Anglia. On the Wessex Line, where an alliance had been expected for some time, the deep alliance cost Network Rail over £1m in consultancy fees to set up and the punctuality of South West Trains passenger services has fallen since the alliance was introduced in April this year. At the same time, responsibility for implementing all the pro-private reforms proposed by McNulty has been handed to the ‘Rail Delivery Group’ which is made up of the larger TOCs and FOCs and Network Rail, with ATOC also in attendance. It is obvious that the TOCs will use this forum to pressurise Network Rail over, amongst other things, the performance of alliances between them and TOCs, blaming Network Rail whenever there are problems. The formation of the RDG amounts to the privatisation of rail policy and the current fiasco over rail franchising could pale into insignificance compared to the potential for chaos from the Rail Delivery Group’s decisions which will be driven, first and foremost, by the commercial needs of the TOCs and FOCs. South West Trains has been lobbying MPs on the ‘deep alliance’ with Network Rail, despite a lack of evidence (beyond the fall in punctuality) on its performance. At a recent meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Rail, Tim Shoveller, managing director of South West Trains, preached to MPs about the benefits to the company, Network Rail and passengers of the deep alliance. According to Mr Shoveller, South West Trains is keen on using the alliance to foster the belief amongst SWT staff that “it’s our railway”. This tells you all you need to know about the long term aims of the government’s alliancing policy – it is the first major step toward Railtrack 2: The Sequel. DEEP ALLIANCING DOESN’T WORK Performance standards dip on “deep alliance” pilot at South West Trains which allows train operators control over infrastructure work as part of the government’s McNulty rail policy