Train bosses admitted today they had no idea until the ‘last minute’ their new timetables would collapse into chaos despite months of planning.
Executives from rail firms responsible for the disastrous timetable overhaul were hauled in front of MPs today to explain why the changes had gone so wrong.
Arriva Rail North Managing Director David Brown told MPs it was only at the ‘last minute’ before the timetable launched the problems emerged.
And Charles Horton, the chief executive of GTR, said in hindsight a nationwide timetable change should never again be attempted over such a short schedule.
The Transport Select Committee demanded to know when decisions had been made and whether the failed timetable could have been stopped before it was launched on May 20.
Hundreds of services have been cancelled or significantly delayed since schedules across the country were changed.
Passengers using GTR and Northern have been particularly affected, with some stranded on platforms for several hours.
GTR chief operating officer Nick Brown, outgoing GTR chief executive Charles Horton, Northern managing director David Brown and performance and planning director Rob Warnes gave evidence to MPs today (pictured)
Mr Horton announced his resignation on Friday but is still appearing before the Transport Committee today (pictured)
Arriva Rail North Managing Director David Brown insisted even on May 18, just two days before the committee launched, the scale of the problem with the timetable was not clear.
Mr Brown admitted the problems were worse because the timetable process was ‘truncated’ by late engineering work and a mismatch between trained staff and new routes.
But he told MPs: ‘We did not become aware until the very last minute the scale of that problem.’
Mr Brown said the inability to see problems emerging meant there was no way of delaying the new timetable.
Mr Horton, who announced his resignation last week amid the shambles, told MPs the rail industry should ‘never embark’ on such a change again.
He told the committee rail operators tried to finalise a timetable in three weeks rather than the normal 12.
He said: ‘Trying to squeeze major timetable change into a few weeks is fraught with risk and difficulty.
‘It is not something I would ever wish to see embarked on again – it’s just too difficult.
‘I make that comment with hindsight. We were seeking to get the job done.
‘It was only in the final run in we started to see the risks ratcheting up.’
Mr Horton the process for approving the timetable became ‘extremely protracted and was complicated by a number of changes’.
He said: ‘One of those changes was there was a decision taken to phase in the timetable and that was made at the end of October 2017.
‘That was a decision made by ministers.’
Mr Horton, who announced his resignation on Friday, claimed the effect of that policy was ‘not clearly understood in terms of its impact on Network Rail’s processes’.
He added: ‘The result was that, that combined with some challenges in getting the timetable established, meant that we were into April before we had the timetable finalised.’
The Transport Select Committee demanded to know when decisions had been made and whether the failed timetable could have been stopped before it was launched on May 20
Passengers using GTR and Northern (file image) have been particularly affected, with some stranded on platforms for several hours
Asked if the situation would have been helped with the decision being made sooner, Mr Horton replied: ‘In any timetable process the earlier you make a decision on specification the better it is in terms of your ability therefore to establish the timetable effectively.’
Mr Horton stressed that the phasing of the new services was ‘not the only issue we were facing’, noting that the ‘slow pace’ of getting the timetables finalised contributed to GTR’s difficulties.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling (pictured arriving for Cabinet today) has blamed Network Rail for being ‘very late’ to approve the new timetables and a delay in completing infrastructure projects
Both GTR and Northern operators introduced temporary timetables on June 4, removing around 6% of daily services in a bid to boost reliability.
GTR chief executive Charles Horton announced his resignation on Friday but will still appear before the Transport Committee.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has blamed Network Rail for being ‘very late’ to approve the new timetables and a delay in completing infrastructure projects.
He also criticised GTR and Northern for inadequate planning, such as not having enough drivers trained to operate new routes.
Ahead of the hearing, Labour MP Lilian Greenwood, chairwoman of the Transport Committee, said passengers ‘are entitled to a full explanation’.
She went on: ‘We are determined to understand how this rail timetabling chaos came about.
‘What was the chain of command? If it was clear that problems existed before launch, why did it go ahead at all? Where does the blame lie? Who could have spoken up, but didn’t?
‘After a long period of disruption, passengers will want to know that the parties involved in this chaos are working non-stop to put things right.
‘They’ll want to know when services will return to normal so they can properly plan their journeys.
‘Our committee will help people get the answers they deserve.’
Robert Nisbet, regional director of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry, said: ‘There is still more work to do to improve rail services, but the introduction of interim timetables by GTR and Northern earlier this month have had a positive impact.
‘Rail employees across the country are working hard to deliver the service that customers deserve and to provide greater certainty where there is still disruption.’