Monitoring the delivery of enhancement schemes

Our enhancement projects team is monitoring the portfolio of enhancement projects and funds that Network Rail has been funded to deliver in CP4. These include:

Major schemes such as:

• Thameslink
• Birmingham New Street Gateway
• Airdrie - Bathgate
• Reading Station redevelopment

Programme funds, including:

• Strategic freight network (SFN)
• National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP)

plus over 80 other schemes to enhance capacity or line speeds across the country.

The list of enhancement schemes funded by the periodic review is shown in Network Rail’s enhancements delivery plan which is published on its website and updated every quarter.

Programme and project reviews

We commissioned Nichols to review the Strategic Freight Network fund ( PDF 212 Kb), a £250m fund that aims to enhance the capability of the mainline freight network. We wanted assurance that the schemes being delivered by Network Rail are on target to be delivered within the agreed timescales and have effective governance arrangements in place.

We commissioned Nichols ( PDF 372 Kb) to review how well Network Rail were developing and integrating the projects in the north west of England. These projects include both electrification of existing non-electrified routes, together with capacity and capability improvements. Once completed these projects will enable new train services to run and improved timetables are planned to be introduced between December 2013 and 2016. This review looked at whether the overall programme is set up to succeed and whether it will deliver an efficient outcome.

Network Rail commissioned Halcrow ( PDF 451 Kb) to review its ongoing improvements in how it manages ‘business change’ to ensure that risks to NR and 3rd parties are adequately managed.

We asked Nichols ( PDF 132 Kb) to check that the construction phase for phase 1 of the Northwest Electrification Programme was deliverable within the committed milestones and efficiently costed.

We also asked Nichols ( PDF 105 Kb) to check that the early design and development costs that has recently been competed for the Northwest programme was efficiently incurred.

We have used the Reporter to carry out reviews of some of the major projects and programmes and have published the executive summary of their reports.

• Efficiency and deliverability review - National Stations Improvement Programme (October 2011) ( PDF 684 Kb)
• Quality review of Bletchley Remodelling project (July 2011) ( PDF 120 Kb)
• Quality review of Edinburgh Waverley Steps project (July 2011) ( PDF 125 Kb)
• Access for all programme (January 2011) ( PDF 192 Kb)
• Network Rail discretionary fund (July 2010) ( PDF 93 Kb)
• Strategic freight network (July 2010) ( PDF 196 Kb)
• GSM-R - lessons learnt on industry collaboration (July 2010) ( PDF 226 Kb)
• Power supplies - review of progress (June 2010) ( PDF 182 Kb)
• Thameslink - Reporter's assessment of schedule slippage affecting key output 1 (May 2010) ( PDF 420 Kb)
• Review of Network Rail's capability to deliver the CP4 Capital Investments Programme ( PDF 127 Kb)
• Quality and whole life cost review: North London Line (December 2009) ( PDF 338 Kb)
• Quality and whole life cost review: Glasgow to Kilmarnock (November 2009) ( PDF 122 Kb)
• Power supplies (June 2009) ( PDF 115 Kb)
• Reading station (June 2009) ( PDF 139 Kb)
• Birmingham New Street (March 2009) ( PDF 315 Kb)
• Kings Cross (March 2009) ( PDF 334 Kb)

We asked Halcrow to review whether the Evergreen 3 Phase 1 project was likely to deliver on time. The executive summary of their report has been published. We will be publishing a letter shortly explaining the position in more detail.

• Evergreen (January 2011) ( PDF 279 Kb)

We asked Nichols to review whether the power supply works proposed by Network Rail for the Thameslink project are justified and costs appropriately allocated to the project. Their report has been published. 

• Thameslink (November 2010) ( PDF 145 Kb)

We asked Nichols to review the Thameslink project and have published their report:

• Thameslink (March 2009) ( PDF 333 Kb)

Jointly with Network Rail, we commissioned a study to review how computer modelling of train service performance had been used during development of the West Coast main line (WCML) route upgrade, and how the results compared with performance in practice. The report has been published and we have sent a letter to Network Rail regarding the recommendations in the report:

• WCML lessons learnt report by MVA Consultancy ( PDF 1.4 MB)
• WCML lessons learnt letter to Network Rail ( PDF 56 Kb)

Obstacles to investment

We continue to work with the industry to identify and reduce any barriers to third party investment in Network Rail's infrastructure. Any studies or investigations that we undertake will be placed here.

• Review of obstacles to investment - report by Halcrow, September 2011 ( PDF 904 Kb)
• Comparison of railway enhancement costs in Great Britain and barriers preventing delivery of station projects by train operators ( PDF 235 Kb)
• Comparison of railway enhancement costs in Great Britain and barriers preventing delivery of station projects by train operators (the Nichols report) - Response from Network Rail, 28 February 2011 ( PDF 2.16 MB)

This study was jointly managed by ORR, Network Rail and ATOC. It has tried to establish how much hard data there is in comparing costs for delivering works and whether there is evidence to substantiate claims of other barriers to investment at stations.

Whilst some of the recommendations focus on the DfT's responsibilities in England and Wales, where there is relevance to Scotland we will work with Transport Scotland.

Last updated: November 2012

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