Conclusions
- GTR-Southern has been through a thorough risk assessment process as required under the Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems Regulations 2006 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 in order to identify any risks associated with the Driver Only Operations (DOO) of services over the new routes.
- Industry standards, Railway Group Standards (RGS), Railway Industry Standards (RIS), are the minimum requirements that have to be met. Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is satisfied that these requirements and those from good practice guides, in relation to DOO operation, are being adhered to.
- Improvements have been identified; for example, GTR-Southern and Network Rail should extend the provision of CD (Close Door) and RA (Right Away) indicators on stations that are staffed, where appropriate, in order to improve train dispatch at these locations. And some of these have been highlighted as requiring completion before new DOO services are introduced.
- Where DOO has been introduced on the Horsham to Bognor Regis line, ORR has identified that in-cab CCTV images are adequate across the route but has recommended improvements. ORR has also identified that it would clearly expect GTR-Southern to better plan for and notify staff and ensure their competency ahead of introducing DOO dispatch on routes. We will be following up on progress of this with ASLEF and GTR-Southern on an ongoing basis.
- ORR is satisfied that with suitable equipment, procedures and competent staff in place the proposed form of train dispatch intended by GTR-Southern, meets legal requirements and can be operated safely. The onus on all duty holders is to continuously improve safety and therefore we will work with all parties to ensure they are striving for ever-safer methods of train operation, including regarding the technology that is available as part of DOO. As the safety regulator we will continue our inspections and we will not hesitate to take action if we have evidence there is a breach of health and safety legislation.
The ORR has followed its report with recommendations on how GTR can go even further to improve safety of train dispatch. The operator has accepted these in full and they should be implemented as soon as possible.
Full report here: http://orr.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/23671/gtr-southern-driver-only-operation-report-january-2017.pdf
GTR's Charles Horton Response to the Report (original attached):
Dear Stakeholder
ORR report into driver controlled trains on Southern
I fully appreciate that you have faced months of misery and hardship to their work and family lives as a result of the continued industrial action. I am deeply sorry for this and understand how extremely frustrating and difficult the current situation is for you and for them.
Given these circumstances I understand that a further explanation of the issues surrounding the dispute may not be welcome. However, today the Office of Rail and Road, the industry’s independent safety regulator, has published an important report on our implementation of driver controlled trains on Southern.
The report is attached to this email. We welcome the ORR’s findings which confirm that the way in which we have implemented and are operating our services is safe. The regulator has made a number of recommendations for further improvement which we accept and will action as soon as possible.
Today, a third of all trains on the UK rail network run with the driver in full operational control. The Rail Safety and Standards Board and the Office of Rail and Road have confirmed that this is a safe method of operation and the unions must now acknowledge that they have no credible argument that it’s an unsafe method of operation.
Further to the letter I sent yesterday I wanted to tell you that we have written to ASLEF setting out a formal offer, made to the union at ACAS on Tuesday 3 January to settle their dispute. To recap, the key points of the offer are:
- A technology upgrade programme to refresh older, yet safe and functional, on-train technology to ensure it is of the same standard of later variants of the same type of train
- No further extension of driver controlled operation beyond that already delivered without the agreement of ASLEF
- An insurance/indemnity arrangement for drivers to support colleagues involved in platform train incidents, unless negligence or gross misconduct is the cause
- A programme to proactively support driver job security
- The re-establishment of the driver controlled operation Joint Working Party to monitor any agreed proposals.
We have yet to receive any response to this from ASLEF. Again I would ask you to join me in telling the ASLEF and RMT leadership that it’s time to call an end to all this and put a stop to the misery and hardship this is causing our customers.
Yours sincerely
Charles Horton
Chief Executive Officer