Project Outline
The Train Operating Companies (TOCs) manage stations under leasing agreements with Network Rail, which owns all stations in the UK. These arrangements can take various forms, including a Full Repairing and Insuring Lease (FRI) or a traditional lease with divided responsibilities.
In the UK, three TOCs operate either partially or wholly under an FRI basis. This type of lease effectively grants long-term ownership of the stations to the TOC, transferring the responsibility for Maintenance, Repair, and Renewal (MRR) of the stations from Network Rail to the TOC, as specified in the lease terms.
Key Information
| Project | Station Asset Management Plans (SAMPs) |
| Client | Department for Transport (DfT) |
| Services | Asset Management |
| Duration | October 2023 – October 2025 |
Each TOC must comply with all Industry Standards when planning and executing MRR activities. Consequently, specific measures are included in their Services Agreements or National Rail Contracts with the Department for Transport (DfT). These standards outline the measurement activities necessary to assess the MRR carried out, ensuring that it meets the required quality and supports the longevity of the stations.
The TOCs are also required to monitor and report to the DfT on two key metrics: the Station Stewardship Measure (SSM) and the Percentage Asset Remaining Life (PARL) of their station assets, demonstrating adherence to industry standards.
Due to the need for specialist knowledge and expertise, the DfT sought consultant support to provide technical advice to aid oversight of the Station Asset Management Plans (SAMPs) for Abellio East Anglia Limited (AEA), Trenitalia c2c Limited (c2c), and London North Eastern Railway Limited (LNER).
Our Service
At Mercury3 Consult, we possess specialised knowledge from both the perspective of an asset owner, such as Network Rail, and that of a TOC. This unique expertise positioned us well to work with Costain, our StarThree framework partners, to provide the necessary support to the DfT. Our contracted tasks were divided into two distinct stages:
- Preparation of a Guidance Document: We developed a document to be distributed to all applicable TOCs, outlining “what good looks like” and detailing submission requirements. The goal of this guidance document was to assist train operators without being overly prescriptive.
- Review of Station Asset Management Plans: We conducted a thorough review of each applicable TOC’s Station Asset Management Plans and supporting documentation. This review ensured that these plans met the obligations outlined in each Services Agreement or National Rail Contract. Additionally, we assessed their asset management systems (noting that some operators were required to implement ISO 55001), compliance with industry standards, and evaluated their SSM and PARL against the cost analysis of expenditures and forecasts.
Upon completion, the Guidance Document was approved by the DfT for distribution to the relevant Operators before their submission of the SAMP documentation. Each operator had the option to utilise the Guidance Document to prepare their SAMP document and submit it according to the timelines specified in their TOC’s Services Agreement or National Rail Contracts. Once the submissions were provided to the Lead Auditor, they were shared with the subject matter expert reviewers.
The main challenges included, but were not limited to:
- Ensuring that TOC submissions were provided promptly according to franchise conditions.
- The presentation of submissions was not prescribed within the Service Agreement or National Rail Contract; therefore, each TOC presented the information in a manner that best suited its own business, often including numerous appendices.
- Familiarity with the requirements of the Network Rail Standards was intrinsic in understanding not only the process for Station Asset Management but also the documents, the assessment and measurement regime, and the life cycle process of the station assets.
- Direct experience with the process was necessary to facilitate a constructive review of submissions, as the goal for the reporting and review process was to ensure the longevity of the assets.
- Providing feedback, guidance, and recommendations when obligations were not fully met or were only partially met could be challenging, especially since full access to the TOC’s Asset Management System (ISO or otherwise) was not part of their obligations. This sometimes necessitated requesting specific information separately from the relevant TOC.
Key Achievements
Completed guidance information was supplied to all Train Operating Companies (TOCs) in November 2023.
A comprehensive review of all applicable Station Asset Management Plans (SAMP) documents was conducted within three months, in accordance with Department for Transport (DfT) requirements. This review included situations where additional information was requested from an operator, which could have potentially delayed the review process.
All DfT reviews of the final SAMP report and its recommendations were approved with no amendments needed. The final reports were issued to the TOCs in line with DfT obligations for response.
