Network Rail regulation and performance

Understanding the sale of the arches

30.10.18: David Biggs, managing director of Network Rail Property, sheds some light on the sale of the infrastructure owner’s commercial estate. We announced last month that we’d agreed terms with a joint venture of Telereal Trillium and...

Progress on East West Rail project will allow building to begin next year

08.10.18: Progress on enabling works for the East West Rail (EWR) line are near completion, with the transport secretary arguing the new rail line between Oxford and Cambridge will “transform” travel for passengers. Transport secretary Ch...

Leaf-busting trains launched to prepare railways for autumn

03.10.18: Network Rail is rolling out its fleet of 61 Railhead Treatment Trains (RHTT) and Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPV), amongst other measures, to combat leaves on railway tracks this autumn. Despite opposition from environmental groups, Network Rai...

Hundreds of London railway arches to be opened after Network Rail’s £1.46bn sale

11.09.18: The new owners of over 5,200 properties following Network Rail’s £1.46bn sale of commercial property portfolio have announced plans to invest in reopening up to 430 of the empty arches in London. Adam Dakin, the managing directo...

New Network Rail boss tells MPs he will put passengers’ interests first

11.09.18: The new chief executive of Network Rail Andrew Haines has told MPs he will put “passenger’s interests front and centre” following “seven sustained years of decline in performance.” Haines outlined his prioritie...

3D printing: from virtual to real

11.09.18: Like so many other technological advancements, 3D printing has moved from being the stuff of science fiction, through niche industrial application, to increasingly becoming a common industry tool and even a reality in the home. David Shipman, in...

Network Rail agrees to £1.46bn sale of railway arches

10.09.18: Network Rail has agreed to terms for its widely-publicised £1.46bn sale of commercial estate portfolio made up of 5,200 properties and railway arches. The company’s announcement to sell off the assets were met with considerable...

NR seeks ‘true long-term partner’ for ECML digital railway roll-out

06.09.18: Network Rail has launched the first stage of its procurement process to find a partner to deliver the first inter-city digital railway on the East Coast Main Line (ECML). In what has been described as “an entirely new way of working,&...

First stage of repairs to Nottingham station complete

03.09.18: The first stage of repairs to Nottingham train station after damage caused by a fire has been completed by Network Rail, whose engineers have been on site since January. Most of the repairs are now complete, but Network Rail will now carry...

Network Rail: We have been listening

30.08.18: Network Rail has heard you – and now, it is easier to work with. Mona Sihota, the organisation’s national professional head of asset protection and optimisation (ASPRO), a brand-new role within the company, talks about what’s i...

Network Rail completes major upgrades on Norwich to London mainline

29.08.18: Engineers at Network Rail have completed improvements on the Norwich to London mainline over the three-day bank holiday as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan. Amongst the improvements are the completion of the 120m track, one set of points, o...

NR and Southeastern apologise for trains stranded in freezing weather, outline major action plan

24.08.18: Network Rail and Southeastern have unveiled an action plan on how they plan to respond to major incidents after an independent investigation identified a series of problems with how the two organisations deal with this issue. The investigat...

DfT calls for intensified monitoring of Network Rail’s CP6 readiness to avoid repeat of CP5 ‘stasis’

23.08.18: The DfT has outlined its views in response to the ORR’s Periodic Review 2018 draft determination today, noting that it is “absolutely critical” that Network Rail is held to account for value for money deliverance of services &n...

£4bn deal up for grabs as Network Rail looks for civils work in west and Wales

22.08.18: Network Rail is on the lookout for contractors to work on infrastructure in the west of England and Wales as part of a framework deal worth up to £4bn. Issuing the tender yesterday, the CP6 framework will look to contract work to cove...

Design services framework launched by Network Rail in deal worth £650m

21.08.18: Suppliers are being invited to provide engineering, design, and technical consultancy services to Network Rail in a framework deal worth up to £650m. Network Rail, publishing a prior information notice yesterday, called on contractors...