RSSB puts predictive insight at the heart of new Annual Business Plan
The plan, Laying the pathway to Britain's next railway revolution, reflects RSSB's established role connecting Britain's rail industry, and sets out how it will continue to provide trusted and independent whole-system insight as Great British Railways (GBR) takes shape.
Rising financial pressures, increasing expectations around safety, reliability, accessibility, and the pace of structural reform have shaped a programme deliberately focused on what the industry needs to know next — not just what has already happened.
Reflecting this, the plan places greater emphasis on clear, objective insight across the system, particularly at the boundaries between GBR and other rail organisations. This includes new tools to anticipate overspeed risk, forecast wagon and wheel track condition, and deliver AI-enabled safety, health, and sustainability insight, changing how data is used across the industry — from explaining past events to anticipating what is likely to happen next.
Highlights from RSSB’s 2026-27 Annual Business Plan include:
- Enhanced Trailing Arm Bushes, with in-service trials expected to confirm potential lifetime maintenance savings of up to £43 million for a typical GB operator
- Simplified signalling for low-volume freight terminals, reducing scheme costs by up to 90% and supporting future freight growth
- Whole-system station design standards, delivering improved accessibility and safety alongside £2.1 million in annual savings
- Enabling simplified single line working, supporting faster and more reliable recovery during disruption, with the potential to reduce delay minutes and associated industry costs.
Each initiative has been selected not as a standalone innovation, but because it addresses known industry challenges while maintaining reasonable practicability and value for money.
RSSB Chief Executive Mark Phillips, said:
“Rail reform is one of the biggest structural changes this industry has seen in a generation, and RSSB will play its full part in making it a success. Our 2026-27 Business Plan is built around giving our members, stakeholders, and the future Great British Railways the tools, knowledge, and insight it needs to make faster, smarter decisions — on safety, performance, and cost.”
“As GBR takes shape, independent whole-system intelligence will be more valuable than ever. We're committed to being the trusted partner that helps Britain's railway deliver for passengers, the public, and rail freight businesses.”
Against a backdrop of reform and financial constraint, the plan sets out how data, standards, and whole-system insight can be used to improve safety and value across Britain’s railway.