What is CP6?
Before we think about life after the CP6 rail period we need to know what CP6 involves and whether they are likely to be achieved.
CP6 is the Network Rail control period 6 which runs from April 2019 – March 2024. These control periods are used to help decide the top priorities for investment when it comes to rail infrastructure across the UK. Network Rail plan to spend £42 billion of taxpayer money to increase reliability and improve performance of the rail network within the UK, across CP6.
What is CP6 promising to deliver?
The CP6 plan for improving mainline rail infrastructure is broadly divided into 6 key categories; safety, train delivery service, efficiency, sustainable growth, people and customers & communities.
Rail safety
The safety targets for CP6 are to reduce train accident and level crossing risk by improving rail signalling and communication and to significantly improve lost time injury frequency rate.
Train delivery service
When it comes to train delivery service, CP6 is promising to reduce the number of delayed trains by 28% and to improve delays caused by Network Rail works across the Great British Railway infrastructure. As well as this there is a drive to reduce the number of service-affecting failures by 2023.
Rail efficiency
Network rail have increased their efficiencies target by £0.5bn, from £3.5bn they are now aiming to save £4bn, to support the industry through its current challenges across CP6.
Sustainable growth in railway
CP6 focuses on emissions and energy consumption with a target to improve carbon emissions by 25% and improve energy consumption by 18%.
People, Customers and Communities
When it comes to their staff, Network Rail aim to improve gender diversity by 50% and improve mental health-related absences by 25%.
Network rail aim to reduce the time it takes to respond to customer complaints to improve passenger satisfaction and overall customer service.
Is CP6 running to plan?
As we have previously mentioned in our blogs, Network Rails control period system has not worked properly for many years with projects significantly overrunning and there being a large variation in performance for both passenger and freight in different regions across the rail infrastructure.
Although, according to the CP6 May 2022 target review Network Rail appear to have fully or partially met many of their targets, there are still woeful inadequacies when it comes to a reliable rail infrastructure and train services across the UK.
However, the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) review from 2021 suggests CP6 to be largely on track, although there are concerns about risk funding, largely due to the implications on rail travel from the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns.
The ORR’s report suggests that some key work, such as rail signalling and telecommunications – something we here at RSP are heavily involved in, has been put back towards the end of the CP6 period.
Control period 7 (CP7): What’s to come?
2023 Periodic Review (PR23)
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have begun to discuss the requirements and funding needs for life after CP6 and the breakdown of funding for CP7 in their 2023 periodic review (PR23).
The focus for PR23 is on safety (for workers, rail users and the public), maintaining punctual and reliable performance (when it comes to both rail infrastructure and the trains themselves) for both passengers and freight, making the most of assets throughout their operational lives, as well on improving efficiency.
The ORR’s full update on PR23 can be accessed here.
The William-Shapps Plan for Rail
In 2021, the William-Shapps Plan for Rail white paper document was released by the government. It is a proposed a shake up for the rail network to help improve rail infrastructure and help trains run on time, the biggest in 25 years.
The main aim of the plan is to bring the railways back under one single, national leadership; Great British Railways, which will encompass National Rail as well as areas of the Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group. This unification aims to make the railway more consistent across the country with national coordination as well as regional sub-identities, making it easier and cheaper to plan upgrades, maintenance and renewals, whilst mitigating duplication and keeping customers happier.
The William-Shapps paper talks of aims to fully nationalise and simplify the British railway network by 2025, the Government is currently consulting on the changes to legislation required to implement rail reform and the nationalisation to Great British Railways (GBR). Further to this, GBR will be held accountable for the improvements National Rail outlines for CP7.
The digital railway
A huge focus of the William-Shapps Plan for Rail is the digital railway; modernising the passenger experience and using technology to make it easier for customers to buy tickets. Furthermore, there is a 30-year strategy to help the sector modernise efficiently with £40bn investment to improve and upgrade the rail network.
The 2018 digital railway strategy this includes digital-ready signalling and digital rail traffic control to allow to predict and prevent timetable conflicts and to recover services more quickly when disruption occurs. The aim is to use live passenger and train information to safely increase the numbers of carriages on the railway and the numbers of trains where they are needed most.
Network rail are also committed to major signalling renewals ready for the adoption of European Train Control System (ETCS). Signalling and telecommunications in railway are paramount for safety, efficiency, train delivery and vital for the new digital railway that is coming. With these having reduced priority throughout CP6, it may have a knock-on effect for the William-Shapps rail plan and for the complete rollout of digital rail.
At RSP, we are entrusted suppliers to Network Rail, providing signalling and power rail solutions to help get ready for digital rail rollout as well as many other Network Rail approved products. For all your cost-effective rail solutions, please contact our team today for a no-obligation quote.