Network Rail
Freedom of Information
The Quadrant
Elder Gate
Milton Keynes
MK9 1EN
T 01908 782405
E xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx
S Bickers
By email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
19th October 2015
Dear S Bickers,
Information request
Reference number: FOI2015/00911
Thank you for your request of 23rd September 2015. You requested the following
information:
“Please can I have any documentation (including minutes and briefing for meetings),
instructions, guidance and advice given to Ministers, Department for Transport and
any Train Operating Companies regarding the practice of trains stopping at stations
where the platform length is shorter than the train.”
I have processed your request under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act
2000 (FOIA).
Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 makes provision for public
authorities to refuse requests for information where the cost of dealing with them
would exceed the appropriate limit, which for Network Rail is £450. This represents
the estimated cost of one person spending 18 hours in determining whether Network
Rail holds the information, and in locating, retrieving and extracting the information.
From our preliminary assessment, we have estimated that it will cost more than the
'appropriate limit' to consider your request.
The people within Network Rail most likely to have contact with all of the parties
referred to in your request are those that work at bands 1 and 2. We estimate this to
be approximately 1400 people. If one estimates that undertaking a search of all
electronic and paper documents pertaining to your request would take 10 minutes
per person, this would take in excess of 200 hours. It should be recognised that even
this calculation is based on an extremely conservative estimate of both the search
Network Rail Infrastructure Limited Registered Office: Network Rail, 2nd Floor, One Eversholt Street, London, NW1 2DN Registered in England and Wales No. 2904587 www.networkrail.co uk
time and the number of staff members involved. As a result, it is inconceivable that
we could comply with your request in its current form within the cost threshold.
If you wish to narrow the scope of your request, we may be able to carry out a more
specific search because it would cost less than the appropriate limit to do so. For
instance, you may wish to refine your request by asking for a search to be conducted
by a specific function of Network Rail. A list of all of our functions is below:
Board
Business Change
Communications
Digital Railway
Finance
Group Business Services
Group Strategy
Human Resources
Infrastructure Projects
Legal, Corporate & Commercial
Network Certification Body
National Supply Chain
Network Operations
Non-Exec Directors
Property
Safety, Technical & Engineering (STED)
Any reformulated request Network Rail receives from you will be treated as a fresh
request.
However, in order to advise and assist you, I can confirm that the Rail Safety and
Standards Board (RSSB) already publishes some general industry standards and
guidance which may be of interest to you and are publically available on their
website. Please use the link below to access the relevant webpage:
http://www.rssb.co.uk/improving-industry-performance/platform-train-interface
The link below provides the current full Platform Train Interface Strategy as at
January 2015:
http://www.rssb.co.uk/Library/improving-industry-performance/2015-01-platform-train-
interface-strategy.pdf
Network Rail Infrastructure Limited Registered Office: Network Rail, 2nd Floor, One Eversholt Street, London, NW1 2DN Registered in England and Wales No. 2904587 www.networkrail.co uk
The links below provide the current guidance and requirements for safe design and
maintenance of station platforms:
http://author.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/GIRT7016%20Iss%205.pdf
http://author.rssb.co.uk/rgs/standards/GIGN7616%20Iss%202.pdf
To further assist you, I can advise that execution of risk control by front line train crew
is covered in the Rule Book and Train Operating Company instructions for train borne
equipment such as selective door opening. The operators have lead responsibility as
they propose where they wish to stop, what length of train they wish to use and, in
conjunction with station infrastructure managers, how the risk will be controlled in the
event that the train they propose to stop is longer than the platform. The Railway
Group Standard and Guidance provided in the links above describe the framework.
If you have any enquiries about this response, please contact me in the first instance
at xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx or on 01908 782405. Details of your appeal rights are
below.
Please remember to quote the reference number at the top of this letter in all future
communications.
Yours sincerely
Emma Wolstenholme
Information Officer
Appeal Rights
If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled and wish to make a
complaint or request a review of our decision, please write to the FOI Compliance
and Appeals Manager at Network Rail, Freedom of Information, The Quadrant, Elder
Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 1EN, or by email at xxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx. Your request
must be submitted within 40 working days of receipt of this letter.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to
apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
Network Rail Infrastructure Limited Registered Office: Network Rail, 2nd Floor, One Eversholt Street, London, NW1 2DN Registered in England and Wales No. 2904587 www.networkrail.co uk