ORR sets out its framework for the regulation of the railway in Scotland
21 December 2005
ORR/49/05
We have today set out our conclusions on the regulatory framework we are putting in place following the transfer to Scottish Ministers of powers and responsibilities for funding railway services and for specifying high-level railway outputs.
In June this year, we consulted on the proposed framework, and our conclusions today confirm our approach to:
- regulating the railways in Scotland, focusing, in particular, on how we will conduct future reviews of Network Rail access charges and how we will work with Scottish Ministers who will set out what they want to be achieved by railways in Scotland, and the funds they will be making available;
- setting the outputs Network Rail is required to deliver in Scotland for the remainder of the current control period 3 (CP3) which runs to March 2009;
- making provision for Network Rail outputs and access charges for Scotland for CP4 (which will run from April 2009 until March 2014) to be set separately from those in England and Wales, as part of the 2008 periodic review of access charges;
- regulating other aspects of the railway in Scotland within the Great Britain-wide regulatory framework. This will include rail safety when we assume responsibility for this from the Health and Safety Executive early in 2006.
Bill Emery, Chief Executive of ORR said:
“Our new framework is an important step in implementing the devolution of responsibility for funding and specifying railways in Scotland to Scottish Ministers. We will use this framework to better enable railways in Scotland to meet the specific needs of passengers and freight users, while retaining the benefit of being part of the wider Great Britain rail network.”
Notes for editors:
- The ORR’s approach to regulation in Scotland: Conclusions document is published today, and is available from the ORR website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/267.pdf.
- The earlier consultation: Disaggregating Network Rail’s expenditure and revenue allowance and the future price control framework was published in June 2005.
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