The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has set out its final determination on Network Rail’s plans for CP6.
The £35 billion plans – £31 billion in England and Wales and £4 billion in Scotland – form part of the £48 billion included in the Statements of Funds Available; the differences reflect a number of factors, including the exclusion of enhancements.
Network Rail has responded to ORR’s challenge to further develop the company’s draft plans to improve reliability. The regulator has now approved £24.3 billion to be spent in Great Britain on maintaining (£7.7 billion) and renewing (£16.6 billion) the existing railway, with renewal work seeing a 17 per cent increase from the £14.2 billion in CP5.
The ORR’s increase in the Performance Innovation Fund from £10 million in the draft determination to £40 million in the final determination will support the testing and implementation of new ideas from across industry to improve punctuality.
The ORR has confirmed Network Rail’s plans for a significant funding and resource boost for its timetabling and planning functions, with the System Operator’s forecast spend almost doubling from around £145 million in CP5 to more than £270 million in CP6. This will enable Network Rail to employ around 100 new staff from the current total of around 700.
The five-year plan will see Network Rail become much more locally focused, with each of its eight geographic routes having its own budget, delivery plans and scorecards. In addition, ORR has strengthened local routes’ ability to buy goods and services they need locally rather than centrally, where it offers better value for money.
A £245 million research and development fund will be available over the five years to help develop new technology that improves industry’s performance or efficiency. The use of this fund is contingent on additional governance arrangements being agreed between Network Rail and the ORR.
ORR CEO John Larkinson said: “These plans are focused on improving performance for passengers and freight operators by getting the basics right – ensuring that the railway is properly maintained and renewed, and on improving the daily operation of the railway.
“There is no time to lose; Network Rail and, in particular, the routes and system operator must make sure they are ready to deliver from day one of the new control period. That is why we have and will continue to report on – and where necessary challenge – Network Rail’s readiness.”
Railway Industry Association CEO Darren Caplan added: “In its Final Determination, ORR suggest releasing ‘risk funds’, to allow increased spending in the later years of Control Periods, thereby smoothing out work profiles. We welcome this move and look forward to working with Network Rail and ORR to ensure the funds are used correctly.”
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At least progress with the electrification on the Stirling/Dunblane and Alloa Lines is nearing its completion. Aswell the Shotts Line electrification that will soon be used by the Class 385s.
And the electrification on the Manchester-Preston Line via Bolton which is also to be completed next year so that Northern’s Class 319 and Class 331 EMU trains can operate on. Aswell TransPennine Express Class 350/4, Class 397 and Class 185 DMU will still be using the Bolton Line between Manchester Victoria and Preston. As Northern have promised to introduce new trains and to boost more better services for the North of England. Aswell replacing the Class 143 & Class 144 Pacers.
Not to mention Northern that have introduced the Ex-ScotRail Class 170s on the Harrogate Line between Leeds and York to replace the older trains as more Class 170s from ScotRail will be added to the service that will improve a much better service for Harrogate.
Better hope Trump wins the Mid Terms November 6 ,he’s the only one keeping the world economy on track he responsible for U S GDP at 4.5 %, and lowest U S unemployment since the sixties and the highest U S Consumer confidence and investment ever.
Trump ignores manufactured Climate Change fake news panic so plenty abundance of cheap price War Middle East Oil ,Russian Gas ,U S Shale Gas and Chinese U S coal and Steel ,plus Trump ,Bannon ,Peter Theal policy of Low taxes small government
And NO Clinton ,Bush ,Obama style diasterous interventionist foreign wars.instead President Trump allies with anti ISIS Putin. Looking good for the world looking good for post Brexit U K Railways Renaissance.
Remember it’s money that makes the world go around and it’s money that makes. the trains go around the world
But no electrification plans. Britain languishes behind every other developed country apart, perhaps from ‘these United States’. (Even behind Ethiopia which now has an electrified railway to its capital. Poor old Britain; the blinkered, sclerotic land, and all due to the Westminster politicians and Whitehall Civil Servants!