Southeastern and Network Rail Kent have united to create South Eastern Railway, joining under a single leadership team to increase investment and deliver greater efficiency for passengers, with the goal of reducing operational costs by £50 million each year.
South Eastern Railway will be overseen by Southeastern Managing Director Steve White under a streamlined structure, set to create a more responsive railways with greater accountability for railway performance across the network.
Under public ownership, Southeastern, working closely with Network Rail, has consistently lowered the levels of cancellations and improved customer satisfaction to 86%.
With the improvements, the new structure forecasts a £50 million reduction in taxpayer subsidy each year.
Joint planning has already led to more efficient solutions for reducing delays, including enabling engineers to access the track more frequently to carry out repairs, while maintaining service for customers. It also helps match trains to high-volume times for passengers, delivering over £3 million annually for the rail sector.
Blake Richmond, Chief Operating Officer at Resonate Group, said, “It’s promising to see tangible progress towards a more unified rail system, one that delivers improved outcomes for passengers. Aligning track and train operations is a crucial step toward a more efficient, responsive and passenger-focused railway.
To truly maximise the impact of these reforms, integration must be underpinned by intelligent, data-led systems that enable better decision making and real time responsiveness across the network. Intelligent digital tools can enhance coordination, reduce delays and optimise network performance, helping to deliver the high standards and reliability that passengers rightfully expect.
The focus on safety is another important aspect of this merger, using technology to better plan when repairs can take place to reduce risks and maintain high rates of service across the network.
Moving forward, South Eastern Railway is also planning to invest over £40 million in station improvements, modernise the rolling stock on the Metro service, fit AI CCTV cameras to monitor tracks, and recruit the next generation of rail talent.
The new collaborative approach provides the blueprint for how Great British Railways (GBR) under the government, upping the standards of railways across the country. The standards, tailored to each operator, will deliver high-performing, better-coordinated, more efficient and more responsive services.
South Eastern Railway Managing Director, Steve White, said, “We know that for our customers, what matters most is a railway they can depend on, is reliable and responsive when things go wrong. By joining together track and train under a single leadership team, with accountability for the whole railway instead of different parts, we can remove friction and make better, faster decisions to deliver a better service.
This new way of working puts customer needs front and centre, and will deliver a more joined up, responsive and sustainable railway.”
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