DfT outsources data collection to Labour

What are we to make of this response?

East Coast Rail Franchise

Andy McDonald (Middlesbrough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2017 to Question 116801, how much Virgin Trains East Coast paid in premium payments (a) from the commencement of the franchise in 2015 to date and (b) will pay in each year until 2023-2024.

Paul Maynard (Blackpool North and Cleveleys): The current East Coast franchise operated by Virgin Trains East Coast commenced 1st March 2015. An announcement of the expected premium over the duration of the contract was made at franchise award. All premiums due to date under the contract have been paid. Payments by franchised operators are published by ORR annually and can be found on their website. We have set out our plans to end the operational divide between track and train, and from 2020 we are establishing the East Coast Partnership, one of the first of a new generation of integrated regional rail operations. This will be subject to a competitive process, and will include appropriate premiums paid from the private partner to the Government.

This is unhelpful to the point of wilfull obstruction.

DfT has a spreadsheet of premium payments year by year on its website so why not simply provide a link?

Perhaps because the subsidy spreadsheet on the DfT website stops at 2015-16. The next update (for 2016-17) was due in August 2017 but it ain't there.

No doubt the DfT is hoping McDonald can find the information on the ORR website and pass it on to New Minster House?

ORR explains benefits of railway disaggregation...

This from William Huskisson...

From ORR's Annual Health & Safety Report of Performance on Britain's railways 2016-17:

National SPAD Strategy
Work continues on the development of a national SPAD strategy and it is now at ready to be presented to the Train Accident Risk Group (TARG) for their endorsement before it goes to System Safety Review Group (SSRG) and the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) board. This is the first of three stages. Stage one is to deliver the strategy.

Oddly no mention of UTCAA*

Would it be unkind to suggest that this litany of abbreviations reflects the bureacratic structure of a fragmented railway?

*Uncle Tom Cobleigh And All

Right Time Departure Please!

This from Thebel Tolzforze...

A small reminder, for anyone who might be interested?

Under the terms of the Railways Act 2005: the DfT has until midnight Thursday to let the Office of Rail and Road have the High Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds Available for Network Rail, covering Control Period 6, which starts on 1 April 2019.

Thought we'd mention it, just in case it had slipped anyone's mind?

What with all that HS2 excitement an' all.

The Case of the Chained Hound

The scene: A room at 221b Baker Street...

I say Holmes, what do you make of that whole VTEC thing? Pretty bullish of them to take so many hits on the nose?

But Watson, did you not notice the significance of Stagecoach’s reference in their market statement to Independent Economic Regulation?

Can't say I did Holmes, in fact I'm not even sure I saw the ORR mentioned at all.

That, Watson, is the significance.

Court backs ORR on Heathrow TAC

This from the ORR...

Court upholds ORR decision on Crossrail charges

As the independent regulator for the UK’s railways, we have a statutory role in ensuring charges to run trains on relevant networks are underpinned by evidence and comply with legal requirements.

In May 2016, taking into account representations and evidence from affected parties, including considerable documentation and submissions from Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL), we decided HAL is not permitted to introduce all of its proposed new charges for train operators to use its track, which links Heathrow ‎Airport to the Great Western main line.‎

HAL launched a judicial review of our decision and after a three day hearing, the court has dismissed HAL’s application and upheld our decision. We welcome this judgment and we will now work with all the affected parties to enable Crossrail services to start running as scheduled into the airport.

Perhaps just as well. 

Not much point in being too greedy when you need your TfL friends to support your exciting expansion plans...

Bi-modes not necessarily the answer...

Good news for fans of electrification!

This from the Sunday Times, yesterday....

"The Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have issued the warnings because diesel fumes have been reclassified as a “grade 1 carcinogen”, meaning they are a “definite cause of cancer”. As many as 500,000 UK jobs are affected."

No doubt ORR and RSSB will soon be issuing appropriate guidance?

Her Majesty's Chief Railway Inspector invites DOO comments!

This from Ian Prosser, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Railways; and director, railway safety.

ORR has published the Principles for Driver Controlled Operation.

Meanwhile...

Any questions about the them please contact me https://t.co/kOPQ7dko6L

— Ian Prosser (@IanProsser7) April 5, 2017

Eye is impressed.

Play nicely.

ORR fires starting gun on PR18

The ORR has issued a review initiation notice beginning the statutory process for the periodic review.

In a note sent yesterday to interested parties the ORR stated:

As part of PR18, we have today issued a formal notice confirming our intention to carry out a periodic review (known in law as an ‘access charges review’) of all track and station access agreements relating to Network Rail’s network. PR18 will determine what Network Rail Infrastructure Limited is expected to deliver and the funding that it is given in control period 6 (CP6), which we expect to run from 2019 to 2024. 

The notice also requires that the Secretary of State and the Scottish Ministers each provide to us certain information by 20 July 2017. We expect this information will take the form of a high-level output statement (HLOS – setting out what should be achieved by railway activities in CP6) and a statements of funds available (SoFA – setting out the public financial resources that are expected to be made available to support the HLOS).

Our original timetable for PR18 envisaged that the HLOSs and SoFAs would be provided in May/June 2017. The date in our notice does not prevent the governments providing this information in line with this timescale, but provides additional time up to the UK Parliamentary recess, should this be required. This is consistent with the deadline given by us in previous periodic reviews.

Summer recess is expected to be on the 20 July 2017.

A generous right-time measurement from ORR.

ORR sees the light?

This from the Office of Rail Regulation...

Network Rail commits to plans for Britain’s railways 2014-19

Network Rail has committed to deliver plans for a safer, higher performing and more efficient railway between 2014 and 2019, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) confirmed today.

As part of the multi-billion pound plan for Britain’s railways, initially published in October 2013, Network Rail will bring down the costs of running the railways by 20%, while delivering nine out of ten trains on time on regional, London and South East and Scottish routes, and improved reliability for long distance passenger services. Network Rail will also improve standards of infrastructure management, network resilience, and safety for passengers and railway workers. Over the next five years Network Rail will spend more than £38bn on maintaining, renewing and improving the rail network, which includes the delivery of a programme of enhancements worth more than £12bn.

These are challenges for the whole rail industry, not just Network Rail. Stretching targets and new incentives will get the industry working closer together for the communities they serve. The plans will be delivered from April 2014.

ORR Chief Executive Richard Price said:

“Network Rail has committed to the challenge of delivering exciting plans for Britain’s railways between 2014 and 2019. This new phase will see Network Rail enhance safety, increase capacity, and improve the performance and resilience of the rail network. Service standards will get better, as stations up and down the country are modernised and lines are electrified. Alongside this work, the company will also deliver more, pound-for-pound, than ever before, as it utilises new technology and better ways of working.

“We welcome Network Rail’s recognition that it will need to do things differently to fully deliver. This is a fresh start for the company and an opportunity - supported by significant levels of funding by governments and passengers, and working with the rest of the industry - to learn lessons and build on successes from the past. Meeting these challenges will be tough, particularly in the early years for punctuality in England and Wales because of recent performance levels. We will focus on ensuring the company, working with governments and the rest of the sector, delivers its plans to achieve long-term and sustainable improvements for customers and taxpayers.”

ENDS

Encouraging signs of pragmatism at the ORR on performance.

Now if DfT could take up the same tune...

ORR declines Blackpool and Shrewsbury paths

This from the ORR...

ORR decision on West Coast track access application

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has decided at this stage not to grant access for additional services to Blackpool and Shrewsbury on the West Coast Main Line (WCML).

Extensive analysis of Virgin Trains' recent application for new passenger services on the WCML showed that there is not currently sufficient space on the line to run all of the additional services. The proposals would have also caused further deterioration in punctuality by adding traffic to what is already a very busy route, on which Network Rail is currently not meeting the punctuality targets it has been funded to deliver. The proposals would have a detrimental impact on the journeys of millions of passengers travelling on the route.

Note. This announcement has been made in advance of the adjudication of the Access Disputes Committee, which was due to give its view on Friday...

UPDATE: This from Messrs Dot & Tittle...

Presumably NR will, under the terms of the Access and Management Regs 2005, now have to declare the West Coast to be congested infrastructure

23.—(1) Where, after the co-ordination of requests for capacity and consultation with the applicants in accordance with regulation 20(4), it is not possible for the infrastructure manager to satisfy requests for infrastructure adequately, the infrastructure manager must declare that element of the infrastructure on which such requests cannot be satisfied to be congested.

This then triggers a series of actions, including,

(3) In seeking to determine measures to alleviate congestion the infrastructure manager must consider, in particular—
(a) re-routing of services;
(b) re-timing of services;
(c) alterations to the line-speed; and
(d) infrastructure improvements.

Sadly there doesn’t appear to be a clause in the Regs which allows them to do nothing for 13 years in the hopeful expectation that HS2 will solve everything!

Bring on PUG3!

ORR formalises blinkered view of industry

Good news for fans of an holistic understanding of the railway!

This from the ORR's Long-Term Regulatory Statement, published today...

4.37 ORR will work more closely with the freight industry in CP5 to develop a long-term strategy for freight in approach to CP6, including through the whole-industry Rail Delivery Group that brings together the freight operators with Network Rail, ATOC and passenger operators.

Quite so.

But an interesting definition of 'whole industry', excluding as it does rolling stock manufacturers, equipment suppliers, maintainers, contractors, customers, ports, terminals, investors, ROSCOs, consultants, PTE’s, etc... etc....

Clearly ephemeral groups like customers and the supply chain have no role to play in developing the industry's 'long-term strategy for freight'.

That will go well then. 

ORR makes overnight saving on access dispute process!

Good news for fans of Independent Economic Regulation!

This charming picture appeared in Thursday's Blackpool Gazette...

And it was accompanied by the following illuminating quotes from the ORR's very own Right Price....

“This petition will form part of the evidence in the process. I’d like to thank the readers of the Blackpool Gazette for their contribution to the On Track To The Capital campaign. This petition clearly shows how important the issue is to the people of Blackpool.

“ORR is currently considering the application from Virgin Trains for new services on the West Coast Main Line between Blackpool and London, this will include looking at the benefits new services may bring to passengers and whether they make best use of the limited capacity on the route.”

Fascinating.

Well done to the ORR for being quite so ahead of the game.

In fact so far ahead of the game, that it rather appears that the ORR's Chief Exec has forgotten that this dispute between Network Rail and Virgin over Blackpool and Shrewsbury paths is now subject to adjudication by the Access Disputes Committee.

As any fule kno the Access Dispute Committee "is responsible for the operation of the dispute resolution procedures that form part of all Access Agreements on the national network of Great Britain.". Of course if the ADC is unable to effect a resolution then the ORR may get involved.

No matter and Eye is sure that Professor Richard Butler, chairman of the ADC, will be generous in overlooking this apparent ORR parking of tanks on his lawn...

After all, who can resist getting their picture in the paper with so many MPs?

ORR hopes for 25% uplift in satisfaction

Exciting news from those masters of railway finances - the ORR!

Here is the feedback form from yesterday's ORR industry periodic review 2013 bash in London.

Good to see those charged with the very big numbers can't get a grip on the, er, small numbers..!!

Perhaps option 5 is a reflection of ORR's very own Optimism Bias?

ORR Draft Determination - Word Cloud

ORR goes in for mystic accounting?

This from Alecto...

What a marvelous piece of fiddle factor in ORRs determination of Network Rail's net revenue requirement (p 29):

• "We then look at financial indicators and adjust the level of amortisation so that Network Rail‟s financial sustainability is not unduly affected by this approach (hence the term "financial sustainability adjustment")."

But "financial sustainability adjustment" sounds so much more professional. 

As in: "Here you go guv', including parts, labour and err... financial sustainability adjustment that'll cost you £37.9bn."

A case of poor regulation?

This from the ORR...

From: Data Portal 
Sent: 26 February 2013 11:19
To: Data Portal
Subject: Average age of Rolling Stock by TOC report - correction

All,

Due to an error in the report design, the data for the ‘All’ category in the Average age of Rolling Stock by TOC had been displayed against the wrong quarters between 2009-10 Q2 and 2012-13 Q2.  This has now been rectified and the report currently displays data  for the appropriate financial quarters. 

The most likely cause for this error was due to changes in the way the data was loaded.  Now that the report has been amended this error should not occur again. In addition, we will amend our existing validation procedures to ensure further checks against raw data are undertaken. 

Apologies for any inconvenience that this may have caused you. 

What is it with spreadsheets and Government departments? 

UPDATE: This from The Sleeper... 

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

UPDATE: This, it would appear, from Morris the Man...

Non solum fumo speculisque, sed etiam tintinnabulis fistulisque fit.

Pre-Valentine industry love-in lite?

This from Orville...

Yesterday, 200 or so of the industry's brightest and best attended the ORR's consultation workshop on NR's Strategic Business Plan.

NR put on a polished performance, with a number of senior executives there to present all that the Plan has to offer.

And the ORR? 

Did they perchance outline their emerging views and concerns with the plan and its costs? Were Walker, Price, and Ross there listening intently as industry grilled NR on the details?

Er, no.

Why tie down senior management talent focusing on the industry's view of the 'greatest investment in the railways since the Victorian era' (sic) when there are much more interesting things to do?

Such as managing the team of 60 ORR staff, or 21% of total headcount, busy duplicating the role of Passenger Focus (shurely "working on 'consumer protection' matters"? Ed).

Aye, it's a fine life at One Kemble Street.

RDG: They were only playing leapfrog!

Exciting news from the latest minutes of the Rail Delivery Group! 
 
‘The working group continues to discuss how to help inform DfT’s response to the consultation on the role of the ORR.’.

Hmmmm!

So an RDG Working Group (staffed from NR and TOCs) is telling DfT how to respond to a consultation (which was co-written by DfT and ORR, and has now closed) on what ORR might, or might not, do in the future.

Cosy.

Altogether now: "One staff officer jumped right over another staff officer's back. And another staff officer jumped right over that other staff officer's back..."

ORR - Two for the Price of errr.. Two!

This from the Office of Rail Regulation...

ORR appoints Alan Price as Director of Railway Performance

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) today announced that Alan Price has been appointed as its Director of Railway Performance.

Alan is currently Rail Division Infrastructure Director at FirstGroup. He will bring to ORR a wealth of railway engineering and operational experience both from his role at FirstGroup and from former appointments at London Underground, Metronet, and Bechtel. Additionally, 

Alan has recently played a significant role supporting the work of the Rail Delivery Group.

With Price D'Off already ensconced in Kemble Street another Price joining the ORR risks causing confusion.

Therefore, as a service to the industry and for the sake of clarity, Eye welcomes 'Price Check' to the ORR.

ORR makes grab for fares regulation

This from Sue Persaver...

In her evidence at today's Transport Select Committee, Anna Walker, Chair of ORR suggested that she was keen to take on the role of regulating fares.

This is the same ORR who's summer consultation on freight suggested that an increase in charges leading to a 10% per annum reduction in traffic levels was perfectly acceptable.

Passenger Focus and Rail User Groups may wish to start panicking now.

Of course should Anna succeed in her audacious bid we may need to think up a new nickname for 'Right Price', her CEO.

Perhaps 'Price D'Off' would be a more fitting soubriquet?