Network Rail: leaked report

[whole diary]

[Mark A]

Covered in the Independent here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/train-delays-network-rail-cancellations-misery-b2315578.html

Mark

[grahame]

Covered in the Independent here:

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/train-delays-network-rail-cancellations-misery-b2315578.html

Mark

Short quote from that for critical review:

Britain’s teetering railways face more delays and cancellations because there is not enough money to maintain them, Network Rail has privately admitted. ...

A leaked presentation obtained by The Independent says that the government’s funding plans for the next five years will not allow Network Rail to “operate, maintain and renew” the railway at its current level of reliability.

[snip]

The slides, intended for rail industry bosses and marked “official-sensitive- commercial”, warn that delays caused by crumbling infrastructure – such as tracks, bridges and earthworks – are expected to worsen amid rising costs and inadequate funding.

Rail unions said the revelations about shortfalls in maintenance funding highlight what amounts to a “managed decline” of the railway network.

[TaplowGreen]

HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) now looking ever more like an extension being built on a collapsing house.

[ChrisB]

Eh? That reporf has nothing about HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) funding

[TaplowGreen]

Eh? That reporf has nothing about HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) funding

You're absolutely right, just adding a bit of context - £100+ billion can be found for a vanity project that is largely neither wanted nor needed, whilst the basic infrastructure is allowed to rot away.

[ChrisB]

Might be worth understanding the difference between capital expenditure (HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s))) and Revsnue expenditure (Network Rail Control Periods)

[CyclingSid]

highlight what amounts to a “managed decline” of the railway network.

Interestingly the word "railway" does not appear in the government consultation on "Draft air quality strategy"

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/air-quality-strategy-review-team/consultation-on-the-draft-revised-air-quality-stra/supporting_documents/Draft%20air%20quality%20strategy.pdf

The section on Public Transport only refers to buses. Does this suggest that railways do not seriously figure in the government's long-term planning?

[JayMac]

Might be worth understanding the difference between capital expenditure (HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s))) and Revsnue expenditure (Network Rail Control Periods)

Might be worth understanding that the ultimate financier is the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) Treasury. They can decide where £100bn should be spent. Also, long term financing to improve the existing rail network, it's stations and rolling stock will be capital expenditure. Enhancements and renewals of Network Rail assets during a control period are capital expenditure.

In 2021-22 Network Rail capex was around £5.7bn. Opex around £4.6bn.

[Electric train]

There are concerns within NR^» (Network Rail - home page) that many items that need to be renewed, repaired will have to be sweated to breaking point or close to.  There are fears that reduction in frequency, max line speed and even lengths of trains will have to be put in place.  Some of the Statutory items such as PCB and ACBM etc removal will be a struggle to meet, the de-carbonisation targets set by Government my have to be differed.

It has been known since the CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) determination that funding in CP7^▸ (Control Period 7 - The five year period between 2024 and 2029) was going to be tighter but it seems its even more stringent in addition NR has to reduce its Maintenance costs by £100M every year as of 1st Apr 2023 for at least to the end of CP7

[Bmblbzzz]

There are concerns within NR^» (Network Rail - home page) that many items that need to be renewed, repaired will have to be sweated to breaking point or close to.  There are fears that reduction in frequency, max line speed and even lengths of trains will have to be put in place.  Some of the Statutory items such as PCB and ACBM etc removal will be a struggle to meet, the de-carbonisation targets set by Government my have to be differed.

It has been known since the CP6^▸ (Control Period 6 - The five year period between 2019 and 2024) determination that funding in CP7^▸ (Control Period 7 - The five year period between 2024 and 2029) was going to be tighter but it seems its even more stringent in addition NR has to reduce its Maintenance costs by £100M every year as of 1st Apr 2023 for at least to the end of CP7

What are PCB and ACBM please? I had a look in the list of abbreviations and tried googling, but couldn't find either.

[Red Squirrel]

My googling suggests ACBM is asbestos-containing building material, and PCB is polychlorinated biphenyls. These are both hazardous materials which NR^» (Network Rail - home page) have a statutory duty to make safe.

See https://safety.networkrail.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Polychlorinated-Biphenyls-Guidance-Note.pdf

[Bmblbzzz]

Ah – I'd also found ACBM = asbestos-containing building materials, and I think somewhere in the back of my mind I had even heard of polychlorinated biphenyls, but I'd been convinced there must be a railway-specific meaning.

[WSW Frome]

PCB's can be found in older versions of larger electrical transformer oils (coolants). Network Rail likely have a good few of these. PCB containing oils are deemed to be hazardous if they escape into the environment and usually can only be disposed of by high-temperature incineration.

[Electric train]

PCB's can be found in older versions of larger electrical transformer oils (coolants). Network Rail likely have a good few of these. PCB containing oils are deemed to be hazardous if they escape into the environment and usually can only be disposed of by high-temperature incineration.

The majority of the PCB contaminated items have been removed, but, and there is always a but, the Environment Agency in line with a Government directive have changed the contamination levels and volumes this now brings in a range of smaller transformers typically low voltage (400 / 650V) 60kVA and below which are not normally tested for dissolved gas like high Voltage transformers.

ACBM are found in items like "Marley" floor tiles, linoleum, ceiling tiles, electrical switchgear .................... it goes on the stuff has been around for decades;  BR^▸ (British Rail(ways)) had a policy of not using asbestos at all after around 1980