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8 October 2002
ORR/15/02
In his third annual report - covering the period April 2001 to March 2002 - published today the Rail Regulator, Tom Winsor, stressed the importance of an impartial and predictable regulatory system for the efficient delivery of the Governments strategic plan for the railways.
In a year that saw the placing into railway administration of Railtrack PLC, it has been business as usual for the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR), with the emphasis on bringing Railtrack out of administration on a sound and sustainable basis.
The programme for the reform of Railtracks accountability to its customers and to the public interest has seen most of the reforms taking effect during April to June 2001, with the land disposal licence modification taking effect in November 2001. These reforms have received substantial support in the railway industry, from the National Audit Office, and in Parliament from the Transport Sub-Committee and the Committee of Public Accounts. Seeing the reform programme through remains a high priority.
The periodic review of Railtracks access charges came into effect during the reporting year, in April 2001, providing for Railtrack to receive an increase to some £15 billion at current prices in its allowed expenditure for operating, renewing and maintaining the network for the period from April 2001 to March 2006. In October 2001, the Regulator published the final conclusions in his review of freight charging, which allowed a 50 percent reduction in the access charges which freight train operators pay Railtrack for the use of the network.
A key event in the reporting year was the publication by Lord Cullen of parts 1 and 2 of his report into the collision at Ladbroke Grove. The ORR is working closely with the Health and Safety Executive and others in the industry to implement his recommendations for the establishment of a new rail industry safety body.
Although a lot has happened since this reporting year, much has been achieved in the year, and with the commitment and support of the railway industry, new relationships are being forged between the industrys players based on co-operation, respect and common objectives. Now Railtrack has come out of administration, reborn as Network Rail, I believe the future looks distinctly brighter said Mr Winsor.
The Annual report is available here on the ORR website, or from the ORR Librarian, Sue MacSwan, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London EC1N 2TQ, tel: 020 7282 2001, fax: 020 7282 2045, e-mail: rail.library@orr.gsi.gov.uk.
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