Sentinel card price increase: April 2017

There will be an increase in the cost of a Sentinel card from April 2017. The increase is caused by the continuing rise in costs to operate and simultaneously develop the Sentinel system.

With the launch of Site Access last year, the capability of Sentinel was significantly increased. The addition of swipe out, location and competence recording added a new dimension to safety and efficiency. The Sentinel contract is already up for renewal and plans are maturing for Network Rail to join forces with Transport for London and High Speed 2, creating a new pan industry passport to work scheme. New capability will be added and includes the ability to import and export data from Sentinel as well as the integration of occupational health monitoring and recording systems.

This capability comes at a cost and we are therefore required to increase the price of Sentinel from £25 per year to £33 per year. This excludes the additional £7 per year contribution for the National Skills Academy for Rail.

There will be no change to the billing mechanism. You will still be invoiced quarterly in arrears for the people that you primary sponsor. The first invoice that you will receive for the new amount will be in the first quarter of the next financial year and issued on 30 June 2017.

Since Sentinel II was introduced in 2013, significant cost was removed from the whole operation. We will continue this ethos and operate the Sentinel system as efficiently as possible. The cost of the card remains good value for money and provides a cost effective solution for the industry.

For any inquiries, suggestions, and concerns regarding the increase or our services, do not hesitate to contact the Sentinel team.