In May 2020, ORR found Network Rail had identified the main causes of poor performance and had started to develop remedial action plans but lacked delivery timescales. ORR consolidated its conclusions into a series of 25 recommendations to strengthen these improvement plans across the region.
Network Rail accepted all of these recommendations and overall the NW&C region has made good progress against the majority of these in difficult circumstances. ORR is satisfied that 19 of the recommendations have been addressed and these activities, and their benefits, are now being monitored.
The regulator has concerns however on the slow progress of six recommendations; which primarily relate to asset management and two on operations. The region has made good progress with electrification works and understanding unexplained failures on the network, but it still has to develop many of the processes which it agreed, including:
- Improving the capabilities of staff in making timely interventions to issues such as track faults or drainage problems;
- Further developing its weather resilience and climate change plan;
- Reviewing how the region manages track side vegetation.
Graham Richards, Director, Planning and Performance at ORR said:
Notes to editors
- Following publication of ORR’s conclusions report into performance in the North West & Central (NW&C) region on 29 May 2020, ORR has been closely monitoring what action the region has been taking to address our findings and its progress against our recommendations.
- In December 2020, six months in, we published our views on progress of those recommendations. This 6 month assessment is available.