Mike Goggin

Asked to review an article on the development of plans for the devolution of control of railway stations in the UK to local Government and their agencies and provide my critique. The article identifies the likely drivers of additional value that devolution might give, e.g. greater insights and accountability. However, in the article I also identify some potential risks that might emerge. The article concludes with a plea to both seize the local value but also recognise the potential national… Show more

Asked to review an article on the development of plans for the devolution of control of railway stations in the UK to local Government and their agencies and provide my critique. The article identifies the likely drivers of additional value that devolution might give, e.g. greater insights and accountability. However, in the article I also identify some potential risks that might emerge. The article concludes with a plea to both seize the local value but also recognise the potential national rail network consequences. Show less

Steer Davies Gleave was appointed to support the Station Strategy Group of the Rail Delivery Group in the development and articulation of a vision for Britain's 2,500 railway stations. Working with the strategy group's members, engagement with key stakeholders and the organisation and delivery of a national Station Summit SDG developed a vision statement and nine supporting principles on behalf of the group. The document was approved by the Station Strategy Group and the full RDG Board in… Show more

Steer Davies Gleave was appointed to support the Station Strategy Group of the Rail Delivery Group in the development and articulation of a vision for Britain's 2,500 railway stations. Working with the strategy group's members, engagement with key stakeholders and the organisation and delivery of a national Station Summit SDG developed a vision statement and nine supporting principles on behalf of the group. The document was approved by the Station Strategy Group and the full RDG Board in Summer 2015 and launched at the second national station summit in October 2015. Show less

I was asked to write an opinion piece about GB's railway stations. I decided to comment upon the increasing debate about the role of stations and the control of them to achieve that role. However, I argue for an informed debate which drives pragmatic action that recognises the reality of the station estate.

Invited to offer a commentary on a series of articles about railway stations and development of them and railway land. The article suggests five themes that those seeking to develop the stations of Britain may wish to consider: (1) Create a sense of ambition, (2) Engrain the required holistic perspective from the outset, (3) Create and lever the industry insights and understanding of the varied nature of the station estate, (4) Recognise and develop the required management capabilities, (5)… Show more

Invited to offer a commentary on a series of articles about railway stations and development of them and railway land. The article suggests five themes that those seeking to develop the stations of Britain may wish to consider: (1) Create a sense of ambition, (2) Engrain the required holistic perspective from the outset, (3) Create and lever the industry insights and understanding of the varied nature of the station estate, (4) Recognise and develop the required management capabilities, (5) Invest and create sustained determination to deal with the complexity and nuance of the stations and their contractual matrix. I conclude thus "It is therefore the execution of the arrangement where challenges and complexity arise. Perhaps it is time to look again at how Asset
Protection Arrangements are conceived and communicated to potential interested parties. The industry needs to remember that, with the Government’s planning changes, there are now more
places away from the railway where development can occur. These places often have a simpler structure of participation, a lower time for development and cost of construction, and avoid
some risks such as contamination. In terms of potential, the railway estate is well placed to meet
community needs for additional housing. To coin a phrase from the US, ‘transit oriented development’ is something that the UK industry has developed successfully. With work under way to develop generic and lower-cost approaches to decking over railways and to adjacent development, perhaps we can see some of the blighted carriage sidings and maintenance depots brought back into life. However, to achieve this with confidence and determination requires a detailed and mature discussion on the future of the railway network and its services - I would argue that it begins and ends with a clear and shared understanding of what the railway network, its stations and its train services are there to deliver.". Show less

Competitively procured SDG and Javelin Group were jointly retained by the UK rail industry's leadership organisation, Rail Delivery Group, which consists of the CEOs of Network Rail and the owners of the passenger and freight train operating companies. Our remit was to identify the opportunities for improving the contribution of commercial activities at stations and on-train to the rail industry's financial sustainability. We concluded that there were significant opportunities to grow the… Show more

Competitively procured SDG and Javelin Group were jointly retained by the UK rail industry's leadership organisation, Rail Delivery Group, which consists of the CEOs of Network Rail and the owners of the passenger and freight train operating companies. Our remit was to identify the opportunities for improving the contribution of commercial activities at stations and on-train to the rail industry's financial sustainability. We concluded that there were significant opportunities to grow the sales of both and identified a series of issues that we recommended the industry should consider as it develops its strategy going forward. Presenting the report in October 2012 RDG is now developing its future plans in this area using our report. Show less

The second of two commissioned articles to support a design conference. This article considered the potential impact that stations can have on the communities they serve through economic, accessibility, social and transport benefits.

An article requested by the publisher to support a design conference they were sponsoring. The article highlighted the impact that stations and their design can have on the competitiveness of rail and the attractiveness of the offer to the consumer.

Network Rail commissioned research into the economic value of investments in railway stations. The report seeks:
To investigate the commercial potential of station development;
To quantify, as far as possible, the impact of station investment on the economy; and,
To identify the implications for future station investment.

Based on interviews with over 60 stakeholders, and economic modelling and case study investigations, the key findings of the research were:
Stations can… Show more

Network Rail commissioned research into the economic value of investments in railway stations. The report seeks:
To investigate the commercial potential of station development;
To quantify, as far as possible, the impact of station investment on the economy; and,
To identify the implications for future station investment.

Based on interviews with over 60 stakeholders, and economic modelling and case study investigations, the key findings of the research were:
Stations can have a major impact on the towns and cities that they serve, often acting as regional gateways, helping to stimulate economic growth and attract businesses.
The productivity benefit associated with increased development around stations enabled by station investment can exceed those benefits estimated by traditional transport appraisal techniques by 5 to 7 times.
Investment in Sheffield Station and the surrounding area contributed to a 67% increase in the rateable value of property within 400 metres of the stations between 2003 and 2008 – three times the average increase for Sheffield over the same time period.
Investment in Manchester Piccadilly Station has similarly helped to create 650,000 square feet of new and refurbished office space and to increase property values by some 33%.
Obtaining maximum value from station investment often requires supporting investment in the area surrounding a station, especially where there is a legacy of under-investment in adjacent land and property.
At the same time, station investment can act as a catalyst to broader development providing there is an appropriate balance between railways' operational, commercial and regeneration objectives.
Almost all stakeholders interviewed identified the significant contribution that railway stations can make in attracting inward investment to a city or region. Show less

Developed by Network Rail with a cross-industry working group this document assesses the pedestrian capacity issues at the UK's railway stations and identifies those stations where physical intervention or further investigation is required. In conjunction with the document a guide to undertaking capacity assessment was published.

with the support of Steer Davies Gleave and engagement from our industry partners Network Rail recently published a guidance document to thinking through the relative needs and priorities for successful railway stations. The Guide should help sponsors and project managers develop clearer proposals and provides an assessment framework for different options.