16.07.08
Industry lacks “clear vision”
ORR chairman Chris Bolt has called on the rail industry to think radically about how it can meet growth in demand and increased customer expectations
In a keynote address to the Institute of Economic Affairs' conference on The Future of Rail, Mr Bolt set out his vision of how the rail industry would develop over the course of the next control period (2009-14) and beyond.
Mr Bolt said: "ORR's draft determinations of Network Rail's charges and outputs for 2009-14, published earlier this month are a start. Greater efficiency by the industry particularly by Network Rail will enable investment in more capacity, better reliability and continued improvement in safety. It is a big challenge to Network Rail, and the company will need to be prepared to change to deliver it, but we believe it is achievable.
"But this is only a start. The industry needs to look beyond that and become cheaper, closer to the needs of its customers, quicker to respond to changing needs, and better at planning for the future.
"Everyone seems to agree that the railways will play an ever increasing role in meeting the nation's transport and economic development needs. This could mean a doubling of customer demand in the next thirty years, with ever increasing expectations of reliability, convenience and customer service. The industry must respond vigorously and creatively to that challenge.
"At present, the industry lacks a clear vision of how it will meet that challenge. It does not have in place longer-term plans to transform the railways to meet increasing demand and service expectations. It needs to start to address this now, working in partnership.
"For our part, as the safety and economic regulator of Britain's railways, we will be reviewing how we can better contribute to the necessary transformation, and publishing our own strategy later this year."
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