Disruption has always been one of the toughest challenges to manage. It is fast, complex, and unpredictable, leaving controllers under pressure to make the right call with only moments to decide. Traditionally, operators have relied on paper-based recovery plans or rules, which in the heat of the control room can make restoring services harder than it needs to be.

Turning recovery plans into action

This is why we developed Service Recovery, a new module within Sirocco designed to take the stress out of disruption management. Instead of controllers having to recall or search for the right plan, the module automatically identifies a suitable recovery plan based on live conditions and presents the relevant recovery plan in a clear, simple dashboard.

Service Recovery is being gradually rolled out to users, but the benefits are already becoming clear. It gives controllers a sharper picture of what is happening and allows them to act with more confidence and speed. By embedding recovery guidance into the flow of operations, it transforms disruption from something reactive into something structured and manageable. It also enables newcomers in the control room to respond with the same speed and confidence as seasoned controllers. Actions taken by controllers are also logged in an audit trail, enabling the teams to review and continuously refine their service recovery plans.

How Service Recovery works in practice

The module is designed to guide control teams through disruption events step by step.

• Spot issues instantly – Sirocco flags when a service reaches a disruption threshold
• See the right fix – The dashboard highlights the affected service and the agreed recovery plan
• Act at the right moment – Time critical notifications appear before the service reaches a key location
• Learn and improve – Controllers can confirm, implement or add notes, creating a record that strengthens future recovery plans

These interventions may be simple but they make a big difference. For example, a service may be required to run fast to make up lost time, allowing it to return to schedule and avoid further delays across the network. By turning paper-based plans into digital, timely, actionable steps, Service Recovery helps controllers keep Customers moving. Building resilience into daily operations

By giving controllers the right information at the right time, Service Recovery helps control rooms focus on what matters most. It keeps services and customers moving. It reduces stress, speeds up recovery and strengthens confidence in how disruption is handled.

Service Recovery shows how innovation in Sirocco can provide the rail industry with tools that are not only practical but transformative. It is about embedding resilience into daily operations so that when disruption does happen, recovery is faster, smoother and more reliable.