IIP puts government in the hot seat

摘要

There is a sharp reminder in the Initial Industry Plan for CP5 (p1) that, following the McNulty Rail Value for Money Study, the ability of the railway to improve performance and capacity while cutting costs will depend on decisions to be made by government and ORR. 'There are important decisions ahead foT funders and regulators if the industry is to deliver more affordable railway that drives a prosperous low-carbon economy', says the document. A key decision will be whether DfT's promised franchise reform will really see the end of precisely-specified franchise agreements or a return to the flexibility provided in the first round of franchising in the 1990s, when operators specified and procured train fleets and developed timetables around minimum service levels. IIP argues that a return to such flexibility in the upcoming round of replacement franchises would deliver better value for money outputs, reduce costs and grow revenue.