Serco

At 89 years old, Serco is a FTSE top 250 company managing over five hundred contracts worldwide in a variety of sectors including rail

Serco’s rail operations include heavy rail and light rail and metro services. It is also responsible for the management and operation of a 13 mile long test track at Old Dalby, Leicestershire which offers high speed running as well as AC and DC electrification systems.

Technical services

Serco works with organisations across the rail industry, including Network Rail, London Underground, rolling stock leasing companies, vehicle and equipment manufacturers and train operators.

As a provider of rail technical expertise Serco carries out vehicle testing and condition monitoring from its base in Derby. It also does non-destructive testing and training which involves getting onsite and consulting on a variety of tests that relate to validating and verifying equipment.

Rail data

Serco’s data management specialists Raildata have been providing professional data management services to the rail industry since privatisation in the mid-1990s.

Raildata owns and develops the Parts And Documentation System (PADS) and its support services to meet changing industry requirements over time. PADS is a relational database holding over 650,000 component records,450,000 drawing records and 65,000 maintenance document records with over three million relational links. A further 75,000 component records held in PADS have been accepted by Network Rail for use on its infrastructure applications.

Access to PADSnet provides the user with real-time information as to the latest versions of documentation and the controlled version available to specific parties. Notifications are provided as-and-when versions change; enabling businesses to meet all of their document control and quality system requirements.

Data packaging permits the management of data sets, which are often important for tendering exercises or contractual agreements.

Through the PADS e-library functionality, Raildata provides and manages customised data sets, identifying any changes to the data within them, which can then be evaluated commercially prior to implementation for tender purposes or for contract variation.

Strategy

Serco provides asset management software and consultancy services, helping rail companies to develop investment decision-support software tools. This includes associated information systems for track, vehicles (wheelsets) and trains to help improve performance, manage risks and reduce costs by targeting renewals, maintenance and inspection.

One example of this is the the vehicle-track interaction strategic model (VTISM) and the wheelset management model Serco developed on behalf of RSSB, the Vehicle-Track System Interface Committee (V/T SIC) and Network Rail.

Caledonian contract

Serco began operating the Caledonian Sleeper in April 2015 after it was selected by Transport Scotland to manage the new 15-year franchise back in May 2014.

Total revenue to Serco over the franchise period is estimated at up to £800 million, of which approximately £180 million will be in the form of franchise payments.

Serco committed to the introduction of the new fleet when it won the contract. It represents an investment of over £100 million, part-funded by a £60 million capital grant from Scottish Ministers.