Broken rails

The Rail Regulator closely monitored broken rails from 1999, when it became apparent that the number of broken rails on the network was rising significantly. He required Railtrack to provide him with four-weekly reports of numbers of broken rails and defective rails. The Regulator also required Railtrack to present its analysis of the reasons for the high numbers of breaks in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000, to set out its plans for reducing them, to produce forecasts of the results of its actions and to explain why it failed to meet its own forecasts in 1998-1999 and 1999-2000.

Network Rail continues to be required to provide the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) with four-weekly reports on the numbers of broken and defective rails.

The ORR has continued to ensure that the network operator takes action to improve performance in this area and there have been significant reductions in the number of broken rails in recent years. In the Access charges review 2003, Network Rail was given the target of reducing the number of broken rails to no more than 300 per annum by 2005/06.

In 2005-06 the year-end figure for broken rails fell for the seventh year in succession to a total of 317, an all-time low.  However, the fact that this is just 5 fewer than in 2004-05 suggests that the more dramatic reductions in previous years have now been consolidated within a much improved rail maintenance regime.

The year’s total failed to meet the ACR2003 target of 300 or below per year and Network Rail has formulated a new action plan to reduce the annual total below 300 by April 2007.