The £50 million opportunity
How the 2023 standards can save industry £50 million
Tom LeeDirector of Standards, RSSB
The main purpose of standards is economic, but the size of the potential savings from standards isn’t always recognised. Our standards are always significant, but in some years the standards we produce are highly significant in their impacts. This makes their economic impact especially large. This really applies to the standards we produced in 2023. Their combined financial benefit to industry is estimated at a significant £50 million.
The 2023 standard with the biggest financial impact is RIS‑0707‑CCS Issue Two, Management of Control Command and Signalling Subsystem Failures, Faults and Defects. Our work in 2023 substantially revised this standard. As a result, industry now has the core framework for the National CCS Defect Recording, Analysis and Corrective Action System (DRACAS) in place. The National CCS DRACAS will significantly increase the scope of organisations’ understanding of CCS faults and failures. Rail organisations already have an understanding of control, command and signalling (CCS) where they operate. The National CCS DRACAS extends that understanding. They will be able to know about CCS faults and failures in places where they don’t operate. This is fundamental to improving CCS performance. It enables the whole sector to collaborate effectively to identify the underlying causes of CCS faults, failures, and defects wherever they occur.
Other standards we produced in 2023 are also important in their own fields. They also respond to significant industry challenges. For instance, it’s important to provide a better passenger experience, especially post-pandemic. As part of our 2023 standards work, we produced guidance on assessing passenger seat comfort, GMGN2696 Issue One. We look forward to train manufacturers and operators using this standard to improve passenger journeys. We want passenger numbers to increase as a result.
Our standards committees and standards experts are also keenly aware of the changing needs of the industry’s assets and employees. Our 2023 standards addressed some of those issues as well. Sometimes we revised an existing standard. For instance, we improved the standard for the driveability of lineside signals, RIS‑0703‑CCS Issue Two. Sometimes we produced completely new standards. A good example here is the new operational railway safety awareness guidance, GOGN3616 Issue One. It is intended for train operating company staff working on the mainline and in depots, yards, sidings, and freight terminals.
The 2023 Annual Standards Report highlights the diverse range of standards where we were active. Our 2023 standards have made important changes that will save you money and improve the performance of the railway.
For more details, read the full report.
