2021 Report details for project: East Coast Digital Programme

Project name East Coast Digital Programme - there are 3 reports for this project: 2021, 2022, 2023
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Organisation DFT (D9) - see all reports for this organisation
Report year 2021 (data is from March 2021)
Category Infrastructure - see all reports for this category
Description: The programme is seeking to bring about transformation through the introduction of digital technologies such as the European Train Control System; replacing conventional signalling with digital signalling on the East Coast Mainline South. This is the first mainline deployment of digital signalling and a critical pathfinder in the strategy to roll-out this technology across the whole rail network to provide a range of benefits such as increasing performance and lowering whole life costs.
DCA (RAG) Amber
DCA text: The Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating is Amber.This is primarily due to the following factors: The Department has a plan in place to address the resourcing issue and increase overall resourcing as the programme moves towards Full Business Case (FBC) submission and delivery. As the FBC is finalised, this will provide greater clarity about the migration strategy and costs and risks associated with the programme which will provide assurance on the programme schedule. Additionally, early works on the Northern City Line will test the programme partnership approach. The Department is working closely with Network Rail to ensure that the national enabler projects meet the requirements of the programme critical path. These will give us greater confidence in the deliverability of this programme.
Start date 2017-05-01
End date 2029-12-31
Schedule text The project end-date is 31 December 2029. This is primarily due to the following factors: This is a challenging project to retrofit digital signalling control systems to a highspeed mixed use line with a number of complex interfaces. Network Rail are taking forward this programme in a new way including through its approach to procurement and the establishment of a cross-industry board. Train fitment was deliberately started early to expose risks and challenges so that they can be tackled in time. Significant risks and challenges do remain, such as the national enabler projects. The Department, Network Rail and suppliers are working to resolve these so that they do not impact on the delivery of the programme. The planned schedule has been confirmed and is undergoing the proper assurance process as we finalise FBC. At this stage, we are confident that the programme partnership model and early industry engagement has delivered tangible results and, with the programme float reinstated, the programme can deliver to time and budget.
Baseline £120.52m
Forecast £61.91m
Variance -49.00%
Variance text: The budget variance exceeds 5%. At Outline Business Case (OBC), the First in Class Freight Fitment programme and the Rail Innovation & Development Centre project, which are enabler projects, were included in programme life costs. They have since been reprofiled and are now reported through Network Rail's Digital Railway programme, meaning they are not included in the forecast estimate. The variance also reflects some movement in infrastructure costs between years and increasing certainty in cost category expenditure amounts. Costs will become even more certain as the programme progresses to FBC and will be adjusted to reflect external funding pressures eg. Spending Review.
Whole Life Cost £2,403.29m
WLCost text: The projects Baseline Whole Life Cost is £2403.29m. This is primarily due to the following factors: The overall total Whole Life Cost (including inflation) between Control Period 6 (CP6) and Control Period 12 (CP12) for the East Coast Digital Programme is estimated to be between £2.98bn and £3.45bn in nominal figure including optimism bias. CP6/7 costs are estimated to be in the range of £1.2 - 1.9bn. These figures have been taken from the OBC Business Case. The forecast will be confirmed and refreshed at FBC.
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Notes2:
Sourcefile IPA_2021.csv

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Acknowledgement: GMPP data has been re-used under the Open Government Licence.