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Network Rail publishes initial plan for next price control review

3 July 2006
ORR/16/06

Network Rail has today published its Initial Strategic Business Plan (ISBP). The ISBP is Network Rail’s initial plan for operating, maintaining and developing the rail network from 2009/10 to 2013/14 and beyond, so as to meet efficiently the likely needs of rail passenger and freight customers and of public sector funders of the railway.

The ISBP will be a key input into ORR’s Periodic Review of Network Rail’s outputs, expenditure and access charges.  It will also inform the work by the Department for Transport and Transport Scotland to set out what they require the railway to deliver, and the amount of public funding available, to be completed by July 2007.

Bill Emery, ORR Chief Executive said:
“ORR will now begin a thorough review of Network Rail’s plan. Network Rail has to engage with train operators and other stakeholders to develop the plan further. We also need to ensure that when Network Rail makes its submission for the Periodic Review in October 2007, the plan commands support as being the best basis for the industry as a whole to meet the challenges facing it. To achieve this will require a new partnership both at the national level, and at route level, between Network Rail, train operators and other stakeholders.”

Notes for editors

  1. More details about the 2008 Periodic Review and its timetable, which was updated on 25 May 2006, in related links.
  2. The ISBP has been produced in response to a letter from ORR, which set out ORR’s requirements for the plan. This letter was published on 3 February 2006, and is available on the ORR website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/orrlet-nr-initial_strategic_business_plan.PDF.
  3. The Secretary of State for Transport and Scottish Ministers will set out what they expect the railway to deliver in the High Level Output Specification (HLOS) and the amount of funding available in the Statement of Funds Available (SOFA).
  4. ORR will publish a document in September 2006, identifying the main issues that ORR wants the rail industry and other stakeholders  to consider. Following this, ORR will publish a full assessment of the ISBP in February 2007.

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