Office of the Rail Regulator

Regulator launches proposals for Railtrack's ten-year plan for developing the rail network

date 4 September 1996   source Office of the Rail Regulator   type Press release

Details of new strengthened proposals for monitoring how effectively Railtrack plans for, and actually carries out the maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the rail network were published today by the Rail Regulator, Mr John Swift QC, and Railtrack PLC.

The publication - Railtrack's Network Management Statement: A Consultation Document, sets out the proposals for expanded coverage of the annual document publishing Railtrack's plans for the rail network. Mr Swift said : "Railtrack's Network Licence requires it to publish, annually, a statement describing its projections of future network capacity requirements, planned modifications to its network and the method proposed for financing such requirements and modifications within its overall financial framework."

The form of, and period covered by, the statement have to be approved by the Regulator.

Mr Swift said : "I regard the annual Network Management Statement as a key document for Railtrack to demonstrate publicly that it is an efficient and effective steward of the national rail network. I shall expect it to meet certain objectives. In particular I want the statement to help me, Railtrack's customers, providers of funds, and the wider public to monitor how effectively Railtrack is planning for, and actually carrying out, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the railway.

"A large part of Railtrack's assured income comes indirectly from the taxpayer through subsidies to the train operators. This income is at levels which require and enable renewal of the network. Railtrack must therefore be accountable to its customers and others funding its operations, to satisfy them that their money is being spent on the railway and spent well.

"This will help the development of a shared understanding among all those involved in the railway of the plans Railtrack has for the management and development of the network."

The document, which has been jointly produced by Railtrack and the Office of the Rail Regulator, seeks comments from interested parties on the form and period of the statement.

Mr Swift said : " I am pleased that Railtrack has responded so positively to my proposals that the statement should go much further than that previously produced. It is committed to the principle of providing full and accurate information as to its future plans for the network.

"Railtrack has already proposed to publish the information outlined in this consultation document and that it stands ready to listen to the comments of its customers and funders as to whether this information meets their needs. This is a welcome development".

It is proposed that the statement should cover a period of ten years, with more detail given for the first three years, and should comprise:

Forecasts of future demands on network capacity for passenger and freight services, and their implications for the supply of capacity on the network;
Policies and plans for maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network including details of the work and financial information;
Major projects for renewal and enhancement; and
Method of financing of maintenance, renewal and enhancement with Railtrack's overall financial framework.
Comments on the document are requested by 4 October 1996. They should be sent to:

David Chapman, Manager, Railtrack Regulation, Office of the Rail Regulator, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London EC1N 2ST, and copied to:

Geoff Knight, Group Manager, Regulatory Relations, Railtrack PLC, 40 Bernard Street, London WC1N 1BY.

Copies of the consultation document are available from Sue MacSwan, ORR Library.

Notes to Editors : The form of and period covered by the first Network Management Statement, published in December 1995, was specified by the Secretary of State for Transport. Now Railtrack PLC is a private sector company, it is for the Rail Regulator to approve the form and period of the statement.

Railnews Archive ::: 1996-09-04 ORR-001

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