New cross-industry operational performance briefing materials launched to support a more reliable railway
A new suite of short, animated learning resources designed to support improved operational performance across Britain’s railway has been launched by the Chartered Institution of Railway Operators (CIRO), produced at the request of Network Rail through the Industry Performance Innovation Fund (IPIF).
Titled ‘Delivering Operational Performance’, the collection comprises role-specific, white-label videos and supporting briefing materials created to help build a shared understanding of how everyday decisions, behaviours and communication directly influence the safety, punctuality and reliability of railway operations.
Developed by CIRO for use across the industry, the materials focus on eight key operational areas whose actions have a direct impact on whole-system performance:
- Stations – highlighting how effective passenger management, communication, and safe, timely dispatch at stations can prevent small delays from escalating across the network.
- Depots and stabling locations – focusing on how preparation, defect management, and clear communication between depot teams, drivers and control underpin reliable service delivery.
- Infrastructure – exploring how proactive maintenance, on-site decision-making, and effective coordination with control can maintain safety while minimising disruption.
- On-board staff – demonstrating how actions on trains influence dwell times, punctuality, customer experience, and the smooth operation of services throughout the journey.
- Drivers – emphasising the role of preparation, train management, and communication in supporting safe, punctual running and effective response to emerging issues.
- Signalling and control – illustrating how timely decisions, prioritisation, and clear communication help manage disruption and prevent minor delays from becoming major incidents.
- Planning and resourcing – showing how robust planning, anticipation of resource constraints, and collaboration with delivery teams support a resilient and recoverable timetable.
- Freight operations – highlighting the importance of coordination across operators, terminals, fleet and control to protect tightly timed freight paths and avoid knock-on impacts across the wider network.
While role-specific, the content is deliberately generic and cross-industry, designed to complement, not replace existing company standards, processes and methods of working.
The videos are supported by structured, discussion-based briefing materials intended to be delivered in person by local line managers. This approach reinforces leadership ownership of performance, encourages cross-functional understanding, and enables teams to explore real local challenges, practical improvement actions, and the impact of decisions on customers, colleagues and the wider network.
A core message throughout the suite is that every role matters. Operational performance is presented not simply as a set of metrics, but as the outcome of collective behaviours, proactive decision-making, and effective communication, all underpinned by safety as the overriding priority.
Commenting on the launch, Holly Hancock, Business Development & Project Manager at CIRO, said: “These materials were created to help people see how their everyday actions connect to the performance of the whole railway. By keeping the content role-specific but industry-wide, we’ve aimed to support meaningful conversations at a local level, while reinforcing the idea that operational performance is a shared responsibility across all functions.”
Rail Delivery Group (RDG) will be responsible for carrying the materials forward on behalf of the industry. The success of the Operational Performance briefing materials will be monitored through the RDG Tactical Operations Plan, ensuring adoption, engagement and impact are evaluated against agreed industry objectives.
By promoting a consistent, whole-system view of performance, the Operational Performance briefing materials aim to strengthen collaboration across organisational boundaries and support a railway that works more efficiently and reliably for passengers, freight customers and colleagues alike.
The materials are all available for immediate use via www.ciro.org where they can be viewed and downloaded.
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