New jobs created by Network Rail

A new contact centre in Rochdale has been awarded a three-year contract from Network Rail to provide a national technical helpdesk service.

The centre is based on Drake St, as part of the Impact Partnership. The service involves taking calls and providing technical solutions 24 hrs a day 365 days of the year. The scale of the contract is vast encompassing support for 2,800 railway stations and over 200,000 other Network Rail buildings and assets.

The contract began in June 2008 with 20 local people recruited to carry out the work. The Mayor presented on behalf of Network Rail flowers to the employee who took the very first call, Joan Eccles.

The helpdesk advisor, from Heywood said: “It was great to be part of a brand new team and offering a new service, but when I first took the call I have to admit I was nervous.

"One year on I feel confident in my role and look forward to the calls which range from a problem with a lift to a one off incident such as an oil spill.”

From the numerous challenges experienced with any new service the team have matured and are now delivering a service that is meeting the client’s service level targets.

Mike Crompton, Property Operations Director, comments: “The excellent work that the team are providing to Network Rail has provided a platform of confidence to market the helpdesk to other organisations and we are confident that we will expand this aspect of the business and create more local jobs.”

Impact was established almost three years ago to tackle the economic challenges facing the Borough. Impact is committed to creating at least 1,305 sustainable jobs during the 15-year course of the Partnership – an ambitious job creation target which is especially challenging given Rochdale’s ranking as one of the most deprived Boroughs in the country.

During the past three years, Impact has played a leading role in transforming Council services to the public, most notably with the creation of a new extended-hours customer contact centre which currently handles an average of 36,000 calls per month.

The Partnership also plays a pivotal role in supporting the physical regeneration, providing building and highways professionals for local projects across the Borough – such as the recently improved junctions at Sudden, Townhead and Kingsway.