FUTURE OF RAIL CONFERENCE
‘Network Rail needs to focus on the basics’ RTM reports on a forward-looking speech by Office of Rail Regulation chief executive Richard Price.
W
hen Richard Price spoke at the Future of Rail conference in November, CP5 had
and delays over the Christmas period.
his presentation by expressing the regulator’s displeasure with Network Rail’s performance so far in CP5, with 50,000 more late trains and 20,000 more cancelled trains than expected so far.
“We know that punctuality is the biggest single source of dissatisfaction with the railways and Network Rail needs to tackle its part of the problem,” Price said.
Part of their problem, he pointed out, is that Network Rail is not delivering the volumes of maintenance and renewals required to sustain the level of performance it committed to.
“We’re just six months into this new control period so Network Rail needs to focus on the basics, doing the right levels of maintenance and renewals, improving its knowledge of its assets and keeping projects on track,” Price added. ORR is increasing its focus on “indicators that will tell us more about Network Rail’s likely performance trajectory in the future”.
Systematic monitoring
The regulator has also introduced new regulatory targets and “systematic monitoring” to provide fresh intelligence on future performance, as detailed in RTM. Price said this is part of the ORR’s plan to shift from a one.
it is delivering on the parts of the punctuality challenge that are within its control, said Price, is it will give the company greater credibility in
32 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 15
working with train operators to develop “whole industry solutions to the undoubtedly complex issue of a more crowded network”.
Price believes that this collaborative approach is essential to drive improvements in performance and improve services for both that it is only through achieving this, that the industry’s calls for investment will continue to be heard.
“The important thing is, we need to continue to work together on these operational issues to improve timetabling, reduce delays and improve asset reliability, so that customers experience better reliability.”
Looking longer term, Price wants to address Network Rail is currently principally incentivised to improve punctuality, but while Price wants to see these incentives continue he also wants them to be incentivised for other priorities.
tackled is how Network Rail and the industry can be incentivised for use of capacity as well as improving punctuality.”
Additionally Price wants the industry to look at how it can make sure investment and delivery meets customers’ needs. A key part of this, he said, is to improve consumer engagement, including the basics like letting passengers know what’s going on when trains are disrupted. Passengers waiting on platforms should be told how long they will be waiting added that passengers should also be given information on how they can claim refunds if
The ORR expressed the same sentiment last year when research it commissioned showed two-thirds of passengers were unhappy with
the way TOCs handle delays, and less than half were given a reason for delays.
the industry, promised to produce a revised plan to address the issues and the ORR laid to address. The criteria included accurate and timely information to be put on train company websites, announcements on how to claim compensation if the delay threshold to date information and sending automatic compensation alerts to passengers who have booked online.
Route-based benchmarking
The ORR is also always looking at ways it can improve the way it regulates. One improvement it is examining is using route-based comparisons to systematically benchmark their
Price said: “This comparative competition has been used in other sectors, such as water and energy infrastructure, where real competition doesn’t exist to drive improvements in believe this is a promising option for when we conduct our next periodic review.”
and train operators could be incentivised to work better together, for example by channelling more of the company’s revenue through access charges rather than entirely through government block grants. “This potentially could encourage Network Rail and its routes to become more commercially responsive to customers,” Price said.
Richard Price
W:
http://orr.gov.uk/ FOR MORE INFORMATION
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