Holding Network Rail to account across capital investments.
We monitor Network Rail and provide assurance over significant investment in Britain’s railway, across capital programmes including both renewals and enhancements. Our work helps us understand whether investment is being effectively planned, governed and delivered. We consider delivery progress, cost, schedule, risk, assurance and organisational capability, focusing on issues that could affect outcomes for users of the railway. Through monitoring and assurance, we assess delivery confidence, challenge emerging issues and provide transparent reporting.
Capital investments oversight includes:
- renewals;
- enhancements;
- digital signalling portfolio;
- Access for All (AfA) portfolio, and
- other strategically significant capital programmes.
Our roles and responsibilities for enhancements in CP7 document provides more details about ORR’s role on enhancements in the current 5-year control period, in relation to that of DfT, Transport Scotland and Network Rail.
For enhancements in Scotland, we provide advice to Transport Scotland on the cost of projects and hold Network Rail to account for delivering key milestones. However, we have agreed with Department for Transport in England and Wales that we will not monitor the cost efficiency of the projects it funds or take action in relation to specific milestones for these projects.
What are the enhancement projects Network Rail is committed to deliver?
Network Rail's licence requires them to publish a delivery plan that sets out its obligations for enhancement projects. This allows train operators to plan their businesses and funders to plan their finances with a reasonable degree of assurance. Network Rail publishes a list of enhancements projects in its Enhancements Delivery Plan. If Network Rail needs to make changes to the Enhancements Delivery Plans, for example if a delivery milestone has to be delayed, Network Rail must agree it with funders through a Change Control process. ORR reviews these Change Controls to make sure that all the affected stakeholders (such as train companies and local councils) have been consulted and that Network Rail is taking any concerns into account.
How is Network Rail performing on delivering enhancement projects and improving its capability?
We carry out Independent Reporter and Targeted Assurance Review deep dives to look at a specific area or concern. Details are available on Independent Reporter and Targeted Assurance Review report pages. We also monitor Network Rail’s capability to plan and deliver capital programmes. We have carried out two previous Independent Reporter studies into capability, and our next review will take place during CP7.