Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent proposals he has received from Network Rail on (a) maintenance and (b) operational efficiencies.

The Secretary of State recently published his High Level Output Statement and Statement of Funds Available for railway activities during the period covering 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2024 (Control Period 6), in which he emphasised his clear expectation that Network Rail needs to make significant progress in improving its efficiency. As part of the independent Office of Rail and Road’s ongoing PR18 regulatory process, Network Rail is producing its Strategic Business Plans for Control Period 6 by February 2018, setting out what it proposes to deliver during CP6, what this will cost and the efficiencies it proposes to deliver. In addition to the Office of Rail and Road, which will scrutinise these plans, my Department will also receive them.

I have also recently received Network Rail’s Transformation Plan Update, in September 2017, which sets out work now underway to increase efficiency in Network Rail.