Network Rail

Network Rail at a glance

• More than 30,000 people
• 26 strategic routes
• 20,000 miles of track
• 1,100 signal boxes
• 9,000 level crossings
• 40,000 bridges and tunnels
• Over 2,500 stations
• 57,000 ha property portfolio

brief

Network Rail is a private engineering company which owns and operates Britain's rail infrastructure. The company spends around £ 14 million a day operating, maintaining, renewing and enhancing Britain's rail network, which includes track, bridges, signalling systems, stations, tunnels, level crossings and viaducts.

As part of a major strategic programme to replace and expand its existing, in-house project control systems, Network Rail was seeking a software solution that would improve its ability to estimate major programmes of work for asset renewal and enhancement projects. The solution would need to be applied at all stages of the investment life-cycle - from initial high level business plan to the end of the project design stage.

In a process known as Agenda-Based Selection (ABS), 28 potential vendors were invited by Network Rail to submit tenders for the project. Following receipt, six respondents were short-listed for detailed product evaluation.

After a series of presentations, pilot demonstrations and some basic user training, Network Rail selected RIB Software as its preferred supplier of specialist cost management software to replace its existing estimating systems.

solution

Network Rail's chosen software solution - RIB CSuite - is now being used to produce estimates for funding approvals, tendering and procurement, project control, evaluation of contractors' and suppliers' bids, benchmarking, resource planning, costing and project check estimates. Various levels of project life-cycle estimate are being produced commensurate with the project execution phase.

A key benefit of the system is its ability to produce estimates at any of Network Rail's offices and the offices of its accredited suppliers, contractors and consultants. RIB CSuite has been rolled out across Network Rail's territories throughout the UK - Headquarters (London), Scotland (Glasgow), London North Eastern (York), London North Western (Birmingham), Western (Swindon) and South East (London).

Network Rail has the capacity for more than 150 concurrent users to use RIB CSuite. The new software system will allow users to produce and review estimates for renewal and enhancement projects involving track, switches and crossings, signalling control systems, civils works, stations and property, power supply and distribution, and telecommunications.

Network Rail is also benefitting from RIB CSuite's ability to integrate and interface seamlessly with Primavera planning and scheduling software. A bi-directional interface enables the seamless integration of project cost data, providing a unique planning, scheduling and cost control system for users.

result

"The successful implementation of RIB CSuite as a key component of our strategic Investment Management Systems Programme has enabled us to provide an effective cost estimating service to our internal and external customers. The ability to configure the system to meet our specific needs across the breadth of our asset work streams has been a critical success factor for us as well as the developing functionality for reporting."

"With growing recognition amongst internal clients and stakeholders that RIB CSuite is our estimating tool of choice, we now look towards the post-contract use of the system to complete our cost management cycle."

John Stretch
Head of Estimating,
Major Projects & Investment (MP&I), Network Rail

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