High Level Output Statement
Client: Department for Transport, Mar - Jul 2007
One of the activities taken on by the UK Department for Transport upon the demise of the Strategic Rail Authority was strategic rail planning. As part of this process, two key documents were scheduled to be produced during the Summer of 2007: a High-Level Output Specification, setting out what level of railway services the Government wished the rail industry to deliver over the period 2009-13, and a Statement Of Funds Available, which set out the finances available. The Office of Rail Regulation was then called upon to establish whether the funding was appropriate for the desired services.
Despite its name, and in order to inform ORR on cost assumptions, the HLOS actually included analysis of specimen service change options at a considerable level of detail. It was also discussed with major stakeholders such as Network Rail and the Passenger Transport Executives. Each of Network Rail’s major routes was examined in turn, and a raft of possible proposals developed against the three key outputs of capacity, reliability and safety.
This was such a large task that the Department for Transport asked for assistance from the Railway Consultancy, who examined in detail DfT’s proposals for the London & South East area. Our work involved assessing the likely effectiveness of solutions already proposed, developing solutions which might be even more cost-effective, and assembling the resource requirements (infrastructure, trains) needed to underpin the options. The Consultancy was able to save the taxpayer considerable sums by suggesting more effective ways of delivering additional capacity, to support the HLOS document published in July 2007.
Last updated: Sunday, 18th December 2016
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