Rail Regulation

Value For Money Study

The Rail Value for Money Study was commissioned jointly by the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail Regulation. The study was led by Sir Roy McNulty. 

The Study’s final report puts forward a wide range of recommendations focused on creating an industry environment which encourages cost reduction, changes which deliver new efficiencies, and mechanisms to drive implementation. The Study estimates that implementing these recommendations could deliver savings between £700 million and £1 billion annually by 2019.  

The rail industry is a major employer and employment costs form a significant part of the industry’s overall cost. The value for money of the industry’s people was  a key element of the study. We were commissioned to investigate labour resource efficiency in the industry’s train operators and identify the scope for improved productivity through investment in technology.  

We undertook detailed research to quantify the current level of labour resource utilisation in the train operating companies. We also gathered details of the technology being used throughout the industry for train crew planning and operation and an indication of the benefits being achieved. In dialogue with leading software vendors, we identified the potential development path for train crew resource management systems in the UK rail industry.  

Our findings were summarised in a report which identified and quantified the potential feasibility, costs and benefits of industry-wide investment in planning and workforce management technology. The report was accepted and helped inform the strategic recommendations of the study.

To view the Study's full report, click here