Britain's rail regulator has defended its decision to give Network Rail a further two months to improve its performance on the First Great Western routes before it considers enforcement action and a fine (link below.)
http://www.rmtbristol.org.uk/2007/09/network_rail_on_probation_over.html#moreThe Office of Rail Regulation hauled Network Rail's chief executive , Iain Coucher , into a meeting last month to explain why delays attributable to the infrastructure operator were running ahead of a joint plan it had put together with the train operator.
Last month, in its quarterly monitor of Network Rail's performance to June 23 , the ORR said the First Great Western train service "continues to suffer from very high levels of delays attributed to Network Rail". Pointing to a series of "major incidents", the ORR said hold-ups caused by Network Rail were 15pc-25pc more than projected in the "joint performance improvement plan" - a situation since aggravated by July's floods.
Describing Network Rail's performance as "exceptionally disappointing", ORR said it had recently met with Mr Coucher "to seek assurance that everything possible is being done to turn the situation round quickly ".
In a letter last week to Alison Forster , First Great Western's managing director , the ORR said it had made clear that unless Network Rail cut delays "or convinced us that it was taking every possible step that it reasonably could to do so , we would have to consider the possibility of enforcement action".
The letter went on to say , however, that "in the light of what we heard at that meeting, and of further written responses from Network Rail, we have decided to hold back from that course for the time being".
Sources close to First Great Western said the ORR had effectively put Network Rail on probation.
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