Rail franchise performance meeting minutes - 4 March 2021

Attendees

  • Allan Anderson (AA) Transport Scotland
  • Katie Sutton (KS) Transport Scotland
  • Lawrence Southern (LS) Transport Scotland
  • Mark Henderson (MH) Transport Scotland
  • Sarah O’Loughlin (SO) Transport Scotland
  • Oi Hang Chu (OHC) Transport Scotland
  • Phil Dargue (PD) Winder Phillips
  • Nicola Dawson (ND) ScotRail
  • Sam Price (SP) ScotRail
  • Mark Ilderton (MI) ScotRail

Apologies

  • Hilary Cameron (HC) Transport Scotland
  • Scott Prentice (ScP) ScotRail

Welcome and Introductions

AA welcomed all attendees to the meeting.

Minutes of Last Meeting - 4 February 2021

Minutes from last meeting all agreed and taken as read by both TS/SR.

Actions From Previous Meeting - 4 February 2021

Actions discussed and agreed by TS/SR.

In Depth Discussion - Driver Training

AA thanked MI for his attendance at the meeting and invited him to share his presentation on Driver Training.

MI began by highlighting the RICF has developed a Framework for Driver Training which currently governs the driver training process, noting that a 1 on 1 training relationship exists between instructors and trainees, weekly Covid tests are taken, temperature testing is carried out before each shift and a daily health questionnaire is completed.

MI set out the current trainee numbers by depot, noting that the largest depots by trainee number were also those most impacted by the restrictions requiring each DI to have only one trainee.

MI talked through the predicted pass outs prior to current lockdown and noted that these figures would now be revised and require to be pushed back due to the impact of the most recent restrictions on the overall programme. MI noted that whilst restrictions remain in place, the overall driver training programme will take longer with additional measures in place. MI noted that additional DIs were being recruited and would be trained once classroom activity can resume and that these combined with existing DIs will play an important role in allowing trainees to be passed out as quickly as possible. MI further highlighted that DI allocation needs to take in to account training requirements for existing Drivers over new routes and tractions, as well as those of trainees. 

MI covered a number of other updates including ongoing collaboration with trade union colleagues, training ahead of signalling renewals at Stirling, Head of Drivers calls with trainees and the development of a training dashboard. KS queried if the training dashboard would show ‘drivers with keys’ as opposed to just passed out trainees. MI confirmed that the dashboard would reflect this detail.

AA thanked MI for his attendance and presentation.

Review of EMA Reporting Pack

TS colleagues have reviewed the pack and submitted queries to ASR to provide responses and supporting evidence as required. ND advised that she has received the pack and would work to provide responses in the coming week. LS confirmed that the period 10 response was received and circulated around the TS team.

Committed Obligations Review

ND noted that OHC had sent back EMA3 recommendations and that ASR were reviewing internally and would return with comments to TS in due course, with Smart Roadmap and HR COs being dealt with separately.

Franchise Performance Report - Any Matters Arising

OHC requested that ASR add Ecoclean to franchise variation tracker.

Schedule 15.2 – Last 12/13 Months of Franchise

AA noted that TS would soon be serving ASR with a Notice to advise the franchise was in its final 12/13 months and that a number of obligations would be placed on ASR during this period. SP noted that ASR were working internally on ensuring an agreed governance process and owners identified for all of the relevant commitments. SP advised that ASR should be able to share this information within the coming weeks, and would certainly do so prior to April.

Issues of the Moment

SP noted that getting EMA3 in place was the main focus at the moment from the ASR perspective. AA was in agreement and noted that finance colleagues would be working through the fallout of the UK Government budget to understand the impact on rail.

AOB

Attendees were in agreement that financial efficiencies would form a suitable topic for an in depth discussion at the next meeting.

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Published Date 24 Mar 2021 Type Mode of transport