The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has said it will take action to ensure Network Rail meets its performance targets after revealing that the infrastructure manager was falling behind with its programme of enhancements and renewals.
In its latest performance analysis report, the ORR suggested that a number of projects were facing delays, with Network Rail missing more than a third of planned milestones in the current five-year funding period.
The report claims that the network’s electrification and signalling renewal programmes are significantly behind schedule.
ORR chief executive Richard Price said:Â “Network Rail has made a slow start in delivering on its enhancements and performance targets for CP5, and we have asked it to demonstrate how it plans to get back on schedule to deliver on its commitments to 2019.
“The company is also falling short of its own targets on completing renewals works for the upkeep of the rail network. While there is good performance on the East Coast Main Line and the freight sector, overall reliability on some routes such as the Southern, Thameslink and Scotland routes are below requirements.”
Responding to the report, a Network Rail spokesman said: “Network Rail has recognised the scale of the challenge and has been openly reporting performance data regularly.
“There are clearly opportunities to improve following decades of under investment in the rail network. Â However, it is worth highlighting that we operate the safest passenger network in Europe and the railway asset reliability is the best it has ever been. Â The increase in passengers means that more people are getting to their destination on time than ever before.
“Network Rail’s new leadership team, under CEO Mark Carne, is committed to deliver the pace of change required to build a better, more modern network that passengers and businesses can rely on.”
