Turning Complexity into Clarity
Can your depot actually maintain the fleet it's been given?
Willow answers in hours, berths and competent staff. It is informed by the industry's depot guidance (RDG-ENG-GN-009 and RDG-OPS-GN-007), and it challenges the numbers it is fed instead of trusting them.
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© 2025–2026 Lee Lockwood · Willow Rail™ · Terms of use · Privacy
Willow Rail is proprietary software. © 2025–2026 Lee Lockwood. All rights reserved. Access is provided under licence for evaluation and planning use by authorised users; you are granted a right to use the service, not any right in the software itself.
You agree not to copy, download, scrape, decompile, reverse-engineer or reproduce the software or any part of its calculation method; share login credentials; or use the service to build or assist a competing product.
Your data stays yours. Operational data you enter belongs to you or your employer. We claim no rights over it beyond what is needed to run the service.
Planning support, not an instruction. Willow's outputs are decision support. They do not replace your organisation's safety, engineering or operational approval processes, and must not be used as the sole basis for safety-critical decisions.
No warranty during evaluation. The service is provided as-is during the evaluation period, without warranty of any kind, and liability is limited to the fullest extent the law allows.
Licensing enquiries: lockwoodlee7@googlemail.com
What we hold: your name and work email (to run your account), the operational planning data you choose to enter, and basic usage/audit events (sign-ins and saves) kept for security.
Where it lives: with our hosting providers (Netlify for the application, Supabase for accounts and data). Your organisation's data is isolated from every other organisation's at the database level.
What we never do: sell your data, share it with other customers, or use one operator's data to inform another's results.
Your choices: ask us to export or permanently delete your account and data at any time: lockwoodlee7@googlemail.com
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Turning Complexity into Clarity
Select your operator to load depots, fleet allocations and maintenance data. You can add, remove and cascade fleets once inside.
Or configure a custom operator manually
You can add more depots later. Start with the one you know best.
Class, number of units, and typical weekly miles per unit. These drive exam demand.
Headcount on the tools and one main shift. Add more roles and shifts later in Resources.
Honesty note: exam durations and intervals start from industry defaults so you get a number today. Calibrate them to your own working times in the Tasks tab - that's what makes Willow accurate for your depot.
Walk the shed. Tap what you see.
Willow works out how much work your depot has, and how much your team can actually deliver. Then it shows you the gap, in numbers a director can act on.
Informed by RDG guidance: RDG-ENG-GN-009 (depot rules and physical capacity) and RDG-OPS-GN-007 (Depot Good Practice). Willow’s own calculation steps are labelled as Willow’s. Not endorsed by RDG.
Four questions. Your depot, your fleets, your team, and a real capacity answer in five minutes. Correct everything afterwards.
Have your Rules of the Plan? Paste it in and Willow builds your roads and rules in minutes. Or fill the Willow spreadsheet from your own systems.
Load the worked sample network and see a finished model with every screen filled in, before typing anything. It opens in a safe sandbox: nothing saves, your own depot's data is untouched, and one click brings it back.
Willow
Turning Complexity into Clarity
Configure task hours and intervals for fleets at this depot
Add depot-specific maintenance tasks beyond the standard 15
Set hours and intervals for standard tasks. Use Custom Task Builder above to add depot-specific tasks (PIVTS, etc.)
|
Inc |
Fleet |
B Exam |
A Exam |
A2 |
A3 |
FP/Svc |
UFC |
Tyre Turn |
PHC ⏸️ |
W/Set ND |
W/Set D |
W/Set Full |
Engine/Raft |
Transmission |
Panto |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval | Interval | Interval | Interval | Nightly | Interval | Interval | Interval | Interval | Interval | Interval | Interval | Interval | Interval |
Forecast hours per week that sit outside exams and reactive defects. These feed demand directly - no work-arising uplift is applied, as they are already forecast figures.
Import weekly operational data to auto-populate fleet mileages and night shift arrivals
Diagram_Dashboard_-_Dec_2025_-_WC_22_Feb.xlsxEnd_of_day_locations___stabling_report_-_Dec_2025_-_WC_220226.xlsx
Every operator's internal reports look different, so Willow doesn't chase formats: download the template, fill the Fleets, Roads and Staffing sheets from your own systems, and upload it back. Plain language, no mapping, problems named by row. Only the depots in your file are touched.
Weekly fleet mileage data -- updates the Fleet tab with actual miles run per fleet per depot
Drag and drop or click to select your Diagram Dashboard .xlsx file
End of day locations -- provides nightly arrival counts for fuel points and service checks
Drag and drop or click to select your Stabling Report .xlsx file
Manage fleet allocation and operational data for this TCC. 18 fleets configured. Use the TCC selector above to switch depots.
Define each shift at this depot -- start/end times, staff count, and days per week. The capacity calculation sums across all shifts. Add or remove shifts to model different patterns (2-shift, 3-shift, 24hr coverage etc).
One team, by role: the heads each team is planned to have. The depot runs this many equal teams, one team per shift, days the same as nights. Staff on a shift, the establishment and every headcount on the site come from these two inputs.
Absence is a share of rostered time, added up: sickness + leave + training + abstractions + other. What is left is the team actually on shift. Productive share is how much of an attended shift is hands-on work.
Whether the skilled hours the work needs are there. Headcount, roles and absence are set on Resources.
Complete workload picture for this TCC
Where your workload comes from:
Configure your staffing levels in the Resources tab to see detailed capacity analysis.
Auto-generated insights based on your current data
Projection based on current backlog and weekly clearance allocation
Record actual weekly overtime to validate the model
Activity sampling to measure actual wrench-time efficiency on shift
How it works: Walk the depot at random intervals throughout the shift. For each technician observed, record whether they are doing productive wrench-time work or non-productive activity. After enough observations (aim for 100+), the ratio gives you a statistically valid efficiency percentage. This replaces the estimated figure in the Resources tab with a measured one.
No observations recorded yet.
Unit journey through the depot - time cost, staff, and flagged inefficiencies
Diagram_Dashboard_-_Dec_2025_-_WC_22_Feb.xlsx
End_of_day_locations___stabling_report_-_Dec_2025_-_WC_220226.xlsx
Check the model against what the depot actually delivered, and challenge the inputs it was given.
Compare actual work completed against your calculated capacity to validate your efficiency setting
Enter exam counts by fleet type -- hours are pulled from your Task tab automatically
Automated cross-checks to ensure input accuracy and prevent narrative-driven manipulation
All parameter changes are recorded for transparency
What the fleet's mileage generates each week - exams, component changes and every routine task - from the hours set on Set up > Tasks.
Predicted task volumes based on fleet mileage and maintenance intervals. These are SCHEDULED tasks only - the headline demand figure adds work-arising, components and reactive work on top, which is why it reads higher than this table. Log completed exams below and Willow shows measured accuracy rather than claiming one.
Tasks per week for each fleet class at this depot -- scroll right for component changes
| Fleet | B | A | FP | UFC | Tyre | WS-ND | WS-D | Eng | Transmission | Panto | Hrs/wk |
|---|
Planned heavy component changes per week -- use this to size a dedicated heavy maintenance team
Every task type rolled up across all fleets -- occurrences and hours per week/day
| Task | Per Week | Per Day | Hours / Week | Hours / Day | % of Demand |
|---|
Per-shift capacity, B exam throughput, and recovery scenarios for -
1,000 randomised weeks -- what's the probability you can deliver?
Hard limits from depot infrastructure that cap throughput regardless of staffing
Defects from exams, driver reports, and daily checks. Configurable per depot.
How many exams the fleet needs, how many units that brings into the depot, and the hours it takes, by fleet, for a week through to a year. Heavy component work is flagged. The hours reconcile to the demand on the strip.
One row per fleet. Units visiting is an estimate of how many units must attend the depot for exams in the period. Hours are the task-library hours the depot's own team does (a fleet maintained by a contractor, or serviced here but examined elsewhere, is shown but not charged), before work arising.
| Fleet | B Exams | A Exams | Units Visiting | Exam Hrs | Total Hrs | Heavy work / notes |
|---|
Component changes and heavy tasks due in this period: work that needs dedicated resource over and above the exam teams.
Select a period above to see heavy maintenance breakdown.
The table counts exam and task-library hours. The demand on the strip adds work arising, planned and unplanned components, daytime fuel points, defects and other work. Same engine, same figures.
Route exams away from the parent depot to outstation sites and see the hours relieved, phase by phase.
Use the slider or type a number. Green = capable now. Amber = needs investment first.
Manage outstation locations, capabilities and status. This data feeds the Distributed Maintenance scenarios directly. Changes here are live - the model below reflects them immediately.
Ask a question. Willow works out the answer.
Timetable change models a mileage uplift: it can turn, say, 52 B-exams/week into 80 at an already-stretched depot. Willow shows the exam-count change and the capacity gap per depot, then lets you plan the staffing response.
Save your current configuration as a named scenario. Adjust parameters in Resources or Depot Model, then save different versions to compare.
Infrastructure and competency matrix for TCCs. For outstation capabilities, use the Outstations tab. This data is cross-referenced by the Scenario engine -- when you ask "what if we move fleet X?" it checks whether the receiving depot has the right infrastructure and competency.
Physical facilities at this location
Which fleet classes can this depot maintain? Tick all that apply.
What level of maintenance can be performed here?
What does each fleet class need from a depot? This is shared across all TCCs.
Known restrictions at this location
Define depot infrastructure, model overnight stabling requirements, and detect conflicts before they happen.
Visual representation of stabling roads. Green = available, amber = occupied, red = over capacity. Each block = 1 unit space.
Copy the road table straight out of your depot's rules of the plan - Word, Excel or PDF - and paste it below. Willow reads the columns, shows you what it understood, and lets you correct anything before it imports. Nothing changes until you press import.
Define each road's length, status and limitations. Length drives the Willow capacity calculation above; the typed capacity is only a fallback for roads with no length recorded.
| Road | Capacity | Length (m) | Type | Stabling status | Reserved for | Use (day / night) | Fouling / m lost | Out of use | Restrictions | Allocated | Spare |
|---|
Units requiring stabling at this location overnight, derived from fleet allocation. Override manually if needed.
At-a-glance stabling status across all depots
Side-by-side analysis of all Train Care Centers -- demand, capacity, staffing & fleet allocation
Red bars exceeding green = capacity deficit at that depot
| Depot | Units | Vehicles | Weekly Miles | Demand (hrs/wk) |
Capacity (hrs/wk) |
Gap (hrs/wk) |
Utilisation | FTE Surplus/Deficit |
Status |
|---|
Unit count per fleet class at each depot
Visual overview of where pressure points exist across the network
Set staffing and efficiency for each TCC to enable accurate comparison
Generates a draft Depot Rules document for the selected depot in the RDG Appendix A structure, populated from live Willow data. Sections Willow cannot know are marked [TO BE COMPLETED] rather than guessed. Opens as a printable HTML document.
The evidence-grade document a depot takes into a capacity review: demand build-up, the capacity cascade shift by shift, the gap in hours, people and pounds, physical capacity (GN-009 §2.3), sensitivities, and an honest register of every input Willow challenged. From live data, in seconds.
Willow writes these from your live data and delivers them in her chat panel.
Generate professional branded reports from live Willow data. Reports include executive summary, demand/capacity analysis, fleet breakdown, staffing configuration, and actionable recommendations.
One-page overview for senior leadership. Key metrics, status indicators, and top-line recommendations.
Comprehensive analysis with demand breakdown, resource configuration, per-fleet detail, and gap analysis.
Cross-TCC comparison showing demand, capacity, utilisation, and staffing across all six depots.
Depot stabling layout, road allocation, capacity conflicts, and overnight parking requirements.
Each operator is an isolated customer with its own data. Create one, then assign their people to it in "All users" below.
| Operator | Users | ID |
|---|
People waiting for you to approve them.
| Name | Company | Signed up |
|---|
| Name | Status | Role | Operator |
|---|
| User | Event | When |
|---|
| User | Action | Detail | When |
|---|
Validates all inputs against expected ranges and flags anomalies
How it is built: one web page (the engine and every screen) served from willowrail.co.uk, with sign-in, each operator's data and two small server functions on Willow's cloud database. The AI proxy holds the AI key server-side and only answers signed-in users; the server engine re-runs the same calculation so a figure can be checked outside the browser (the Parity button below). A working copy of your operator's data is kept in the browser for speed and saved to the cloud on every change; the save chip bottom-left says when.
Who sees what: every user signs in with their own email and password. Each user belongs to exactly one operator and the database enforces the wall (row-level security): a user can only read or write their own operator's data, whatever the interface does. Users with no operator see nothing but the sample network.
Adding an operator (customer): no code. Open Users & Logs: create the operator, have their staff sign up on the login screen, approve them and assign each to the operator. They then sign in and see only their own data. The sample network is fictional and never saves.
Demand: beat rates. Weekly fleet miles ÷ exam interval = exams a week; times the hours per exam from your working-times study = hours a week, per task, per fleet, per depot. An A exam due at a B-exam mileage point is done as the B (decision D2), so the header shows both the A mileage points and the separate A exams. Planned and unplanned components, daytime fuel points, work arising on planned work, measured defects and other work entered are added; the Exam Planner shows the reconciliation.
Capacity: one staffing model. The team by role, times the teams on the rota, is the establishment held; sickness, leave, training and abstractions come off as one attendance factor; the productive share (hands-on time as a share of attended time) comes off next. What is left is net capacity, and the gap is demand minus net. Headcount and cost answers stay hidden until the productive share has been measured (an efficiency walk or last week's completed exams), because a headcount built on a guess is a guess.
Scenarios and What-If: a scenario is a sandboxed copy of the live data; fleet moves, staffing and productive-share changes are applied to the copy and compared with the base case. The engine, not the AI, sizes every change; the AI only explains.
Where the inputs come from: Import data takes the diagram dashboard (mileage, diagram counts, A and B rates), the end-of-day stabling report (service-point arrivals), a rota export and the Willow template. Depot names in those reports are matched to yours, learned when they differ, and anything not matched is named in the status box. Unit counts are only ever changed in the Fleet tab. The header's Inputs measured badge says what is still an estimate.
Passwords and keys: passwords are handled by the sign-in service, never stored by Willow; a user who forgets one uses the reset link on the login screen. No API key is ever typed into or stored by a browser.
Users currently logged in to Willow
As admin, you can switch between any TOC's data. This reloads all depots, fleet, and resource data for the selected operator.
Ask Willow runs through Willow's own proxy; the API key is held server-side and never in the browser.
Add, edit, and configure outstations. Changes appear in the depot selector immediately.
Each operator has a unique login password. Change them here -- TOC users will need the new password next time they sign in.
These rates drive the Gap Cost calculation in the sticky bar and analysis. Set per-operator so each TOC sees their real cost exposure. Only visible here in admin -- TOC users see the £ figures but not the underlying rates.
Change the secret key required to access this admin panel. Current key is needed to access admin.
Every load / save / apply and every task toggle, with the value of A3 and the fleet count at that moment. Survives refresh. Use "Copy" and paste it to support.
Enable or disable features for all users
Today Willow takes its operating data from the reports you already produce: the diagram dashboard (mileage and exam rates), the end-of-day stabling report (service-point arrivals), a rota export and the Willow template. Upload them on Set up → Import data; the header shows how old each source is.
Direct connections to IVU.rail (mileage), Maximo (work orders and defects) and rostering or HR systems will run through Willow's server, with the credentials held there. Nothing is typed into a browser, so there is nothing here to configure. Ask for a connection when you are ready to set one up.