Rail Regulator acts to improve introduction of new trains

01 July 2004
ORR/27/04

The railway industry has had a number of well-publicised problems with the timely and efficient acceptance and introduction of new trains to operate on Network Rail’s network.

Following a wide-ranging consultation on the former Railtrack’s vehicle and route acceptance procedures, the Rail Regulator, Tom Winsor, has today published a consultation paper on proposed model clauses for vehicle and route acceptance contracts between a rolling stock manufacturer and Network Rail.

Tom Winsor said: “This document consults the industry on the proposed model contract, and asks a number of questions about the principles involved.  It will be for the railway industry to engage with this, and suggest improvements.  It will then be for my successors in the Office of  Rail Regulation to take the work forward.”

The rate of introduction of new rolling stock is likely to be much less in future years, but it is important that lessons learnt over the past few years are captured and codified. The changes already made to Part F of the network code go some way to addressing this, by setting out Network Rail’s role in facilitating the development of new rolling stock, and vehicle change proposals, but the Regulator’s proposals for model clauses take this further forward by establishing a contractual basis for the key relationship.

These vehicle and route acceptance contracts will include the right to use Network Rail’s network for the purpose of testing trains, and they will therefore be access contracts subject to the Office of Rail Regulation’s approval and powers of direction. 

Notes for editors:

1. Model clauses for vehicle and route acceptance contracts: Regulator’s proposals is also available 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.

2. Vehicle and route acceptance procedures: a consultation document, Office of the Rail Regulator, London, March 2001, is also available from the ORR Librarian as above.

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