Gaiger: how we break through rail industry uncertainty

I make no secret that I am a firm believer in the opportunities that rail can create. It is one of the best ways to travel. It’s green, quick, and as an industry it can be a catalyst for economic growth at a regional and national level.  

However, we are all aware that the industry is operating against a backdrop of high uncertainty, and everything we do should take into account the current climate. We have to work together, and we have to have one clear vision. 

Our aim for rail should be simple - to understand and meet the needs of our customers. This in turn will drive usership and benefit the economy. It is for this reason that we need to remain focused to continue to deliver positive change as an industry, while navigating the challenges of uncertainty. But it’s easier said than done. 

Societal shift

We know that customer habits have been transformed since the pandemic, and these will continue to change over the years to come. When planning for the future, we have to think about the transformation in customer values and behaviours. We need to think not just about who will be travelling, but also why they will be travelling and how this might change.  

It is safe to say that the pandemic has accelerated this, and revolutionised people’s travel behaviours.  

If we look back to 1999, just 9.5% of people were working flexibly in the UK. By 2019, that was already 54%. Today, flexible working has been integrated into our lives, with businesses adopting hybrid work-from-home opportunities. And rail reflects this because we still haven’t recovered our commuter customers.  

With flexibility here to stay, we have to factor in the growth of remote working and the new employment opportunities which will be created from it. We need to develop design agility into our plans and operations, so that we can respond to changes in the future while meeting customer and community needs.  

Tug of war?

Politically, we have a General Election on the horizon, where the railways and major infrastructure projects (for example, HS2) will be up for debate by all parties.  

Rail regularly gets caught up in the ever-changing political and social landscapes - coupled with macroeconomics which are moving at an extremely fast pace, and increasing shocks to the system, whether it is climate change, COVID or cyber security.  

Furthermore, there are financial demands on us all right now - from the cost-of-living crisis to industries such as rail needing to make savings. 

We are seeing the emergence of new demands such as digitalisation and upskilling of the workforce. This is a cultural change and not a small task. It is imperative that as an industry we are resilient to adaptations, meaning that we need to truly understand the landscape in which we operate.  

We have seen massive shifts in technology over the years, and we expect to see a further evolution which will change the ways we operate, the experience we provide to customers, and the habits of the travelling public.  

Future-proofing the railway

Transportation as a whole needs to look at how technology will drive much of what this generation experiences, and the speed at which that can change. Technology has also driven new ways to consume, which means that success for us might start to look different - again bringing us back to the need to understand our customers.  

As Managing Director for West Coast Partnership Development (WCPD), which is responsible for designing the future services for the new HS2 railway, I address the challenges of uncertainty daily.  

Our role is to design and develop future train services which will drive regional growth along the West Coast Main Line, while balancing against the social, political and economic pressures that are in constant play.  

We know that HS2 is a complex programme with a lot of political interest, and it is imperative to work with government to ensure that we can maximise the benefits of the investment. Throughout this, we have kept the customer at the heart of our decision-making.  

WCPD has led the creation of a customer vision alongside many of our partners, to ensure that we create a train service that delivers exactly what the customer of the future needs, and that we don’t make decisions for the wrong reasons to the detriment of the travelling public.

Revising and revisiting 'norms'

I want my team to challenge the existing processes and establish new ways that will ultimately deliver for the customer. To be successful, we need to use our expertise bringing new thinking which is focused on solutions - all while developing transparent and productive relationships with our partners. 

I believe that to deliver success we can’t be self-absorbed. We have to be pragmatic and ensure that there are clear goals highlighted, and that we are adaptable in our work. We know where our strains are, and we need to be innovative to find solutions.  

To summarise: rail and transport are very much entrenched in uncertainty at the moment, and it is now imperative - more than ever - for us all to come together for our customers, stimulating economic growth and building a better future.  

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