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ORR welcomes the independent evaluation of the 2008 periodic review

5 August 2009
ORR/18/09

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) welcomes completion of the independent evaluation of the process for undertaking the ORR’s 2008 periodic review which has been undertaken by a review group commissioned by ORR’s board.

Bill Emery, ORR's chief executive said: "Our 2008 periodic review established the outputs and funding for Network Rail for 2009-14 and was the result of more than three years work and a huge amount of effort across the industry. We considered it was important that there was an independent review of the process so that all the key parties could learn lessons and make improvements for the 2013 periodic review.

“I welcome the review group's report, and compliment John Nelson and his colleagues on the extensive assessment of the process and management of the periodic review that they have done since February 2009. I’d also like to thank all those in the rail industry and government who have contributed to this evaluation.

“I am pleased that the review group has found our process and management of the periodic review to have been effective and efficient.  The review group has made a number of recommendations about how it believes we can improve the process for the 2013 periodic review.

“I expect the report to be discussed widely by the industry and we are inviting interested parties to consider the conclusions and recommendations of the review group's report and engage with us to help us develop our response that we will set out in October."

Notes to editors

  1. The independent evaluation review group report is available on the ORR website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/PR08evaluation.pdf.
  2. Bill Emery’s letter on the independent evaluation is available on the ORR website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/PR08evaluation_be050809let.pdf.
  3. The independent evaluation was commissioned by the ORR board. The objectives of the evaluation were to examine any aspect of the process and management of the 2008 periodic review that the review group considered appropriate, although the objectives of the review group did not include reviewing the final decisions that the ORR reached in its determination. A letter from Chris Bolt, the former ORR chairman, outlining the evaluation is available on the ORR website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/independent_evaluation_cblet140509.pdf.
  4. The members of the review group are John Nelson (chairman), Mike Toms and Peter Vass. John Nelson is Chairman of First Class Partnerships (a professional services firm) and was previously Chief Executive of British Rail's largest business, Network South East. Mike Toms is Chairman of Northern Ireland Electricity; he was previously Group Director, Planning and Regulatory Affairs at British Airports Authority. Peter Vass is Director of the Centre for the study of Regulated Industries (CRI) and Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at the University of Bath. In addition, Chris Shapcott of the National Audit Office and Mark MacPherson of Audit Scotland participated in the review group as observers.
  5. Periodic review 2008: Determination of Network Rail’s outputs and funding for 2009-14, published by ORR on 30 October 2008, is available on the ORR website at: http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/383.pdf.

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