We take our role as custodians of industry’s standards committees seriously. The standards committees have an essential job to do for the whole industry, not just parts of it. Robust governance is in place to ensure that their members genuinely reflect the whole industry.

Equally, it is essential that their processes and supporting documents help standards committees perform their role. They must assist the committees to make good decisions and provide a means of escalation to avoid intractable issues that cannot be resolved.

Review process

As a result, we keep a close eye on the governance of the standards process, and we also listen closely to industry feedback. If changes are needed these may involve amendments to the Standards Code, and that requires agreement by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) annual general meeting (AGM) and approval by the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road. Members, government, industry stakeholders, and others can all be assured that we take the issue of standards governance very seriously.

Recently, we undertook a comprehensive review to find out what’s working well, and what needs improvement. This is particularly important given the forthcoming rail reform. Industry needs to be confident that the standards committees are able to make effective decisions, especially at times of change.

The review assessed several meetings, meeting documentation and records of meetings. Interviews were conducted with standards committee members, chairs, and other interested parties. These interviews covered a broad cross-section of the industry, including government, the regulator, and RSSB Board members. We are grateful for the good engagement from all who contributed.

Findings

Overall, we found that the way the standards committees operate is broadly effective, but some areas of improvement were identified. 

For instance, we found that it was sometimes difficult to make effective decisions on standards. This could be due to insufficient top-down direction or ineffective escalation. The standards committees need to be informed by greater industry leadership.

The improved processes and governance are recommended to help standard committees deal with future changes more effectively. 

During the review, some stakeholders expressed views about the suitability of consensus as the basis for decision-making. They were concerned about the time it may take and the potential for sub-optimal outcomes. We found some confusion over the different roles of lead and supporting standards committees. While good practice was seen at standards committees, it wasn’t consistent across all of them.

Decisions could be improved by widening the membership of standards committees to include people from non-specialist backgrounds. We are also recommending providing better information in the meeting packs.

Actions to improve governance

We launched a dedicated project to address all recommendations for enhanced governance. The project is moving at pace because this work may require changes to the Standards Code. These changes typically need approval at the RSSB AGM, usually held in November. The RSSB Board has endorsed the plan. 

Addressing the greater industry leadership and type of decision-making actions is significant. We are working closely with the board to develop options and recommendations. Our next stage is to consult widely on these proposals. 

Consultation

Our view is that the recommendations we make will enhance:

  • Decision-making
  • Industry leadership
  • Committee membership.

It is vital that we hear the views of our members about this.

The consultation will happen in summer 2025. We have a comprehensive plan for engaging all our members in this consultation. The active involvement and support of our members will be crucial in realising the governance improvements we recommend.