This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Advice when trains are longer than platforms'.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
Network Rail  
Freedom of Information 
The Quadrant  
Elder Gate  
Milton Keynes  
MK9 1EN 
 
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