The rail regulator has told Network Rail it ‘must work with other operators to develop new plans to recover long distance passenger and freight train performance’.
Following an extensive investigation into declining punctuality on key parts of Britain’s railways, the regulator last month found Network Rail in breach of its licence and proposed two enforcement orders requiring the company to develop new, robust plans to help recover performance.
ORR has now confirmed these orders:
- The long distance enforcement order requires Network Rail to work with the relevant passenger train operators to produce, by the end of March 2012, robust plans showing that it is doing everything reasonably practicable to deliver the performance commitments it has made for long distance services in 2012-2013.
- The freight enforcement order requires Network Rail to establish a ‘recovery board’ for freight performance at which its freight customers can call on the company to take specific measures to tackle performance for freight services.
- ORR will monitor Network Rail’s compliance with these orders and will consider further enforcement action if necessary.
