Nigel has specialist expertise in rail operations, making best use of network capacity and in improving rail surface access to airports where he has represented public and private sector clients in the development of rail projects for major UK airports. He is a Geography graduate with 30 years management experience in British Rail, the private sector and support to government, spanning passenger and freight operations, customer service, commercial and planning roles as a senior manager. Nigel is a Director of Oxford Rail Strategies, a company which specialises in making best use of rail network capacity, rail commercial, operations and rolling stock matters.
Services Provided
- Providing advice on heavy and light rail operations, in the UK and overseas.
- Investigations and making recommendations for the better use of rail infrastructure capacity in areas where the network is under pressure.
- Leading rail performance improvement actions.
- Training and supporting operational staff to develop their skills in performance improvement activities.
- Commercial and operational investigations, assisting heavy and light rail passenger rail operators in improving their operating plans, customer service and efficiency.
- Preparation of operational and commercial input for bids by private sector companies for heavy and light rail operating franchises.
- Supporting public sector bodies in the preparation and then evaluation of private sector bids for heavy and light rail passenger operations.
- Advising on the commercial and operational aspects of new rail schemes, covering both heavy and light rail, with much recent experience in high speed and commuter rail projects and for improved rail services to airports.
Selected Achievements
- Nigel works with colleagues in Oxford Rail Strategies Ltd on a wide and varied range of projects, both independently and jointly with major UK consultancies, serving both the public and private sectors.
- He has provided operations advice to a major UK passenger train operator in the development of bids for heavy and light rail franchises and concessions. The work involved leading the development of timetables, capacity plans, creation of rolling stock diagrams and associated information, performance modelling, meetings with Network Rail and DfT, input to revenue and cost modelling and writing up these elements of the proposal to government.
- Nigel has been very involved in helping UK passenger rail train operators improve their punctuality performance. For one operator he led a service control review, leading to the identification of a comprehensive package of improvements.
- For another train operating company he led the functional reviews of readiness for a major timetable change and subsequently has advised on performance improvements. These exercises have involved detailed review and identification of improvements to timetable plans, rolling stock diagrams, fleet depot maintenance, stabling and movements plans, and train crew diagrams. The objective of the reviews has been to ensure the efficiency of the service plans, provision of adequate capacity to accommodate passengers, effective communications with staff and customers, readiness of the company’s departments to deliver the new plans and ability of the overall plan to perform at high levels of punctuality and reliability.
- Nigel has worked closely with major UK consultancies on assignments in the UK, including as rail operations advisor in the development of proposals to better serve Gatwick and Heathrow airports. This has involved specification of services and rolling stock for option assessment, input of operations data to demand and cost modelling, consideration of the results of analysis and modelling and production of reports.
- With Oxford Rail Strategies colleagues he worked on projects involving the development of infrastructure, rolling stock and train service plans for high speed rail in the UK and continental Europe. A theme for this work has been the identification of strong commercial cases for passenger train services, including devising very attractive service plans for passengers, high levels of efficiency and an overall good business case.
- He was client’s representative in a major study sponsored by a UK train operating company and DfT into means to achieve short and medium term capacity improvements on commuter services into a London terminal.
- Nigel supported TfL in the operational evaluation of tenders for the passenger train operating company to run the London Rail and Concession. He acted for the UK Strategic Rail Authority with Cross London Rail Links in the detailed development of the operating plan for London’s East – West Crossrail.
- He has provided advice on both day-to-day and network enhancement operational matters on Manchester Metrolink light rail. This included the specification of services and other customer-facing outputs for the operating concession invitation to tender, briefings to bidders during the tendering process and subsequent bid evaluation.
- During 2002 he was project manager for the development and establishment of the UK Strategic Rail Authority’s Capacity Utilisation Policy. The application of the approach now provides a strategic framework for decisions to be made about the best use of the network’s capacity. The policy is now being applied on the national rail network through the series of Route Utilisation Strategies.
- Between 1998 and 2003 Nigel led, for OPRAF and then SRA, their studies into means to improve rail surface access to airports. Representing OPRAF and SRA with aviation interests, the rail industry and government, he project managed studies into the competitive position of rail and air and the potential for new rail links to airports.
Nigel Fulford. B.Sc.
Oxford Rail Strategies Ltd
18 Lincoln Road, Oxford, OX1 4TB./ Mobile: 0780 1259 764
Website: http://www.oxrs.co.uk