Ever wondered why rail improvements never seem to run to time? Perhaps it’s Network Rail’s maths, or the lengths to which it expects its workers to go.

Network Rail oversees the UK’s network and stations, and its latest press release, published today, outlines the work it plan to complete over the four day Easter break.

It’s a long and extensive programme, and involves track replacements at Shenfield, overhead line replacements at Liverpool Street and Bethnal Green and timetable changes for services to Norwich, Ipswich, Colchester, Clacton, Southend, Shenfield and a whole host of other stations, all of which could (perhaps) over-run and impact on my journey to work the first day back.

It happened over Christmas, and the first day back was actually spent working from home. Major upset, big enquiries, compensation paid, fines of £14m levied. Of course, they won’t want to have that happen again.

So it’s good to read Iain Coucher, Network Rail’s chief exec assuring us all that there will be no repeat:

Following the New Year, we have listened to passengers and those who represent them and now our planning and preparation is more robust than ever. Each project is an immense engineering challenge in its own right, and Network Rail is absolutely determined to deliver a safe and reliable railway back to passengers and freight users at the promised time.

But if they’re so determined to get it right this time around you have to ask why they’re not throwing more resources at the problem. In the same release he outlined the level of work required and the number of people making it happen:

In just four days over Easter Network Rail will deliver 300,000 hours of improvement work across the country. Around 6,000 engineers will be working day and night to meet demands for a better railway from the travelling public.

Perhaps Network Rail has forgotten to mention some extra workers somewhere, but 300,000 hours split between 6,000 engineers over four days means each one will be working 12.5 hours a day, every day. Hardly likely, is it, unless they’re hiring some kind of bionic workforce.

It’s also contrary to the EU Working Time Directive, which states that nobody should work more than 48 hours in any 7 day period. This workload equates to 50 hours per engineer in the space of just four days.

I really hope it’s just a poorly-written release, and one that unfairly ignores all the back-room staff supporting the men and women with hammers bashing the track. Unless, of course, they’re called engineers, too. Not all engineers have to engage in manual labour, after all.

Either way, I’d be very impressed if it all gets done on time. Not to say a little surprised.

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network+rail, railways, trains, transport, public+transport

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