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| Network Rail faces regulator grilling over reliability | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Britain's Rail regulator is to investigate Network Rail's performance, accusing the company of delivering poor punctuality and reliability on some of its busiest commuter routes. | |
| Routes run by Southern, Thameslink and Scotland were "below requirements" for reliability, the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) said. | Routes run by Southern, Thameslink and Scotland were "below requirements" for reliability, the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) said. |
| Network Rail said there were "opportunities to improve." | Network Rail said there were "opportunities to improve." |
| Its passenger network is the "safest in Europe", the company added. | Its passenger network is the "safest in Europe", the company added. |
| Passengers using Thameslink routes have had to deal with disruption cause by long-term work at London Bridge, while track and signalling failures have disrupted travellers on Southern lines. | Passengers using Thameslink routes have had to deal with disruption cause by long-term work at London Bridge, while track and signalling failures have disrupted travellers on Southern lines. |
| In December, passengers travelling during the Christmas period in north London suffered delays as engineering work at King's Cross and Paddington stations overran. | In December, passengers travelling during the Christmas period in north London suffered delays as engineering work at King's Cross and Paddington stations overran. |
| More passengers | More passengers |
| The ORR also said 89.6% of trains were on time, less than the 92.5% target. | The ORR also said 89.6% of trains were on time, less than the 92.5% target. |
| The network has had to cope with a large rise in use over time, the regulator said. Passenger journeys have risen 59.1% and freight 9.1% since 2005. | The network has had to cope with a large rise in use over time, the regulator said. Passenger journeys have risen 59.1% and freight 9.1% since 2005. |
| "ORR is investigating Network Rail's performance improvement plans and delivery of enhancements," said ORR chief executive Richard Price. | |
| 'Work together' | 'Work together' |
| "This work will help identify the issues the company needs to address to improve train performance, increase capacity and deliver on its commitments to passengers." | "This work will help identify the issues the company needs to address to improve train performance, increase capacity and deliver on its commitments to passengers." |
| Network Rail said: "There are clearly opportunities to improve following decades of under investment in the rail network. 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. | Network Rail said: "There are clearly opportunities to improve following decades of under investment in the rail network. 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. |
| "The increase in passengers means that more people are getting to their destination on time than ever before." | "The increase in passengers means that more people are getting to their destination on time than ever before." |
| Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "I expect the regulator to hold Network Rail to account, performance must and should improve. The industry has to work together to address these failings and deliver for passengers and the economy, that needs to start now." | Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "I expect the regulator to hold Network Rail to account, performance must and should improve. The industry has to work together to address these failings and deliver for passengers and the economy, that needs to start now." |
| Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent | Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent |
| Network rail is spending £24bn over five years on a whole host of projects designed to make more trains run on time and ease overcrowding. | Network rail is spending £24bn over five years on a whole host of projects designed to make more trains run on time and ease overcrowding. |
| But this report from the regulator, the ORR, says that one year in, the timetable for improvements is slipping and some costs are going up. | |
| For example, work to upgrade the signals around Cardiff will now finish 17 months later than planned, meaning more delays for passengers. | For example, work to upgrade the signals around Cardiff will now finish 17 months later than planned, meaning more delays for passengers. |
| And a project to electrify lines between Manchester and Liverpool finished around one month late, forcing passengers to use smaller, overcrowded trains for longer. | And a project to electrify lines between Manchester and Liverpool finished around one month late, forcing passengers to use smaller, overcrowded trains for longer. |
| There is some praise in the report, especially for the way Network Rail has improved punctuality on the East Coast mainline from London to Edinburgh, and for freight services. | There is some praise in the report, especially for the way Network Rail has improved punctuality on the East Coast mainline from London to Edinburgh, and for freight services. |
| Having said that, punctuality overall remains 3% below target, with problems singled out on Southern trains, Thameslink trains and services across Scotland. | Having said that, punctuality overall remains 3% below target, with problems singled out on Southern trains, Thameslink trains and services across Scotland. |