query: when did network rail take over from railtrack

pos: Railtrack Railtrack Railtrack was a group of companies that owned the track, signalling, tunnels, bridges, level crossings and all but a handful of the stations of the British railway system from 1994 until 2002. It was created as part of the privatisation of British Rail, listed on the London Stock Exchange, and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. In 2002, after experiencing major financial difficulty, most of Railtrack's operations were transferred to the state-controlled non-profit company Network Rail. The remainder of Railtrack was renamed RT Group plc and eventually dissolved on 22 June 2010. Founded under Conservative legislation that

pos: Railtrack discharged on 2 October 2002. Network Rail was formed with the principal purpose of acquiring and owning Railtrack plc. Originally the Government allowed private companies to bid for Railtrack plc. However, with limited availability of financial data on Railtrack, the political implications of owning the company and the very obvious preference of the government that the national railway network should go to Network Rail, no bidders apart from Network Rail were forthcoming, and Network Rail bought Railtrack plc on 3 October 2002. Railtrack plc was subsequently renamed to Network Rail Infrastructure Limited. Network Rail's acquisition of Railtrack plc was welcomed

pos: British Rail was paid to terminate contracts early. When the infrastructure owning company Railtrack ceased trading in 2002, the Labour government set up the not-for-dividend company Network Rail to take over the duties rather than renationalise this part of the network. However, in September 2014, Network Rail was reclassified as a central government body, adding around £34 billion to public sector net debt. This reclassification had been requested by the Office for Budget Responsibility to comply with pan-European accounting standard ESA10. Under Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party has pledged to gradually renationalise British Rail franchises if elected, as and when their private

pos: Euston railway station commissioned by Network Rail in 1990. The station has catering units and shops, a large ticket hall and an enclosed car park with over 200 spaces. The lack of daylight on the platforms compares unfavourably with the glazed trainshed roofs of traditional Victorian railway stations, but the use of the space above as a parcels depot released the maximum space at ground level for platforms and passenger facilities. Ownership of the station transferred from British Rail to Railtrack in 1994, passing to Network Rail in 2002 following the collapse of Railtrack. In 2005 Network Rail was reported to have long-term

pos: History of rail transport in Great Britain 1995 to date replace Railtrack in 2002. Since September 2014, Network Rail has been classified as a "government body". The Strategic Rail Authority lasted just five years. Following the passing of the Railways Act 2005, its business was wound up and its functions transferred to the Department for Transport Rail Group and the Office for Rail Regulation. Further changes followed, which saw the government take back a greater degree of control. Another important development occurred in the aftermath of the Potters Bar accident in May 2002 when a commuter train derailed (coincidentally on the same stretch of the East Coast Main Line as

pos: Tottenham Hale station owned by Prism Rail, National Express took over operation in July 2000. In 1994 responsibility for the operational infrastructure passed to Railtrack. In August 2002 signalling control was transferred to the Liverpool Street Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC). The WAGN franchise was replaced in 2004 by One, this was renamed National Express East Anglia. The following year, following financial difficulties, Railtrack was superseded by Network Rail. From 11 December 2005, a new service to and from Stratford reintroduced a direct passenger connection between Tottenham Hale and Stratford via the mainly freight line across Walthamstow Marshes. For many years the only

pos: Train operating company – including tracks and signalling – is owned and operated not by the train companies but by Network Rail, which took over responsibility from Railtrack in 2002. Most passenger trains are owned by a small number of Rolling Stock Companies and are leased to the individual TOCs. However, a handful of TOCs own and maintain some of their own rolling stock. Train operating companies also operate most of the network's stations, in their role as station facility owners (SFO), in which they lease the buildings and associated land from Network Rail. Network Rail manages some and several stations are operated

pos: Privatisation of British Rail just under a year later the company was put into a special kind of insolvency by the British High Court at the direction of the government. The circumstances of that were very controversial, and eventually led to the largest class legal action in English legal history. The administration led to instability in its share price, and on 2 October 2002 a new organisation, Network Rail, bought Railtrack PLC from its parent Railtrack Group PLC. Network Rail has no shareholders and is a company limited by guarantee, nominally in the private sector but with members instead of shareholders and its borrowing

pos: Cambridge railway station these routes later became part of the NXEA franchise. Services to and from the Midlands were operated by Central Trains from March 1997. In November 2007 the Central Trains franchise was split up with services through Cambridge becoming part of the Arriva CrossCountry network. The First Capital Connect franchise passed to Govia Thameslink Railway in September 2014. On 1 April 1994 Railtrack became responsible for the maintenance of the national rail infrastructure. Railtrack was succeeded by Network Rail in 2002 following financial difficulties. The "CB1" area in front of the station buildings had been due for redevelopment by Ashwell Property

pos: John Armitt responsible for implementing the Channel Tunnel rail link. From 1997 to 2001 he was Chief executive of Costain Group, which he converted from an annual loss of £62 million to a profit of £6.5 million. In 2001 he became Chief executive of Railtrack, and from 2002 to 2007 its successor, Network Rail, During his time at Network Rail he was believed by a survey sponsored by "The Sunday Times" to be the highest-paid public-sector employee in the UK. Armitt's salary and bonus of £878,000 – rising to more than £1m when pension contributions are included, overtaking Adam Crozier, chief executive

pos: London, Tilbury and Southend Railway to the Network SouthEast sector of British Rail. During this period, it was known as Network SouthEast's "misery line". On privatisation in 1996, ownership passed to Railtrack and Prism Rail took over operations of the franchise, marketing the route as LTS Rail. Ownership passed to Network Rail in 2002. Prism Rail were bought out by National Express in 2000 and in 2002 the line was rebranded as c2c. The line was known for its use of 4-4-2 tank engines which were later displaced by 2-6-4Ts after it had been absorbed into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923. There

pos: Angel Road railway station (which had been purpose-built for the line in 1958). When sectorisation was introduced in 1986, the station was served by Network SouthEast until the privatisation of British Rail. In 1994 management of the nationally-owned track and signals passed to Railtrack, which was succeeded by Network Rail in 2004. In August 2002 signalling control for the relevant section of track was transferred to the Liverpool Street Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC). Following privatisation in 1994 management of the station was allocated to a business unit before being taken over by West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) in January 1997 at the time

pos: New Beckenham railway station Regular services had not been run over the line for many years, but in the 1990s a Cannon Street-Lewisham-New Beckenham-Bromley South-Orpington service briefly operated. Following privatisation of British Rail on 1 April 1994, the infrastructure at New Beckenham station became the responsibility of Railtrack, while a business unit operated the train services. On 13 October 1996, operation of the passenger services passed to Connex South Eastern which was originally due to run the franchise until 2011. Following a number of accidents and financial issues, Railtrack plc was sold on 3 October 2002 to Network Rail, which became responsible for the

pos: London and Continental Railways it would not take up its option to project manage and then purchase Section 2. Instead, Section 2 would be owned on completion by LCR, with Railtrack owning Section 1 as well as being responsible for operating both sections. In October 2001, Railtrack was placed into "railway administration" with debts of £7.1bn and in October 2002 Railtrack's assets were transferred to a newly created "not for dividend" company called Network Rail, whose debts would be guaranteed by the government. LCR re-purchased Railtrack's interest in Section 1 for £295m, meaning that both sections would once again be in LCR's ownership upon

pos: Custom House for ExCeL DLR station of Network SouthEast. Following privatisation of the railways in 1994 the track through Custom House became the responsibility of Railtrack whilst train operations became the part of North London Railways (part of National Express) on 3 March 1997. This company was re-branded as Silverlink in September of that year. The adjacent Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station opened on 28 March 1994 as part of the extension to Beckton. In 2002 following financial difficulties at Railtrack, Network Rail took over responsibility for the operation of the infrastructure around the station. The original Custom House station was closed on Saturday 9 December

pos: Network Rail timetable planning, IT, procurement, planning and finance departments all planned to move to the Quadrant. Network Rail organises the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. Shortlisted photos are displayed at London Waterloo and other major stations. Network Rail Network Rail is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an arm's length public body of the Department for Transport with no shareholders, which reinvests its income in the railways. Network Rail's main customers are the private

pos: Network Rail Network Rail Network Rail is the owner (via its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd, which was known as Railtrack plc before 2002) and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in Great Britain. Network Rail is an arm's length public body of the Department for Transport with no shareholders, which reinvests its income in the railways. Network Rail's main customers are the private train operating companies (TOCs), responsible for passenger transport, and freight operating companies (FOCs), who provide train services on the infrastructure that the company owns and maintains. Since 1 September 2014, Network Rail has been classified as

pos: Tom Winsor the regime and of continuing private investor confidence in the railways. Darling made that statement on 12 June 2002, and Winsor announced his intention to carry out the interim review on 22 September 2002. As a result, on 2 October 2002 the government was able to tell the High Court Railtrack was not insolvent. The regulatory review had been promised and could lead to substantially more money for the company. That explanation satisfied the High Court and it discharged the railway administration order on 2 October 2002. Railtrack was immediately acquired by Network Rail and renamed Network Rail Infrastructure Limited

pos: St Johns railway station & South East (renamed Network SouthEast in 1986) operated commuter services in the London area, including St Johns. Following privatisation of British Rail on 1 April 1994 the infrastructure at St Johns station became the responsibility of Railtrack whilst a business unit operated the train services. On 13 October 1996 operation of the passenger services passed to Connex South Eastern who were originally due to run the franchise until 2011. Following a number of accidents and financial issues Railtrack plc was sold to Network Rail on 3 October 2002 who became responsible for the infrastructure. On 27 June 2003 the

pos: Hayes railway station services; and London & South East (renamed Network SouthEast in 1986) who operated commuter services in the London area. Following privatisation of British Rail on 1 April 1994 the infrastructure at Hayes station became the responsibility of Railtrack whilst a business unit operated the train services. On 13 October 1996 operation of the passenger services passed to Connex South Eastern who were originally due to run the franchise until 2011. Following a number of accidents and financial issues Railtrack plc was sold to Network Rail on 3 October 2002 who became responsible for the infrastructure. On 27 June 2003 the

pos: Network Rail Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd. The purchase was completed on 3 October 2002. The former company had thus never ceased to exist but continued under another name: for this reason Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd was the defendant in later prosecutions in respect of events which had occurred in the days of Railtrack. Following an initial period in which Network Rail established itself and demonstrated its competence in addressing the principal challenges of improving asset condition, reducing unit costs and tackling delay, the Government's Rail Review in 2004 said that Network Rail should be given responsibility for whole-industry performance reporting, timetable development,

pos: Railtrack at the time by groups that represented British train passengers. The attitude of Railtrack's customers – the passenger- and freight-train operators – was much more cautious, especially as they were wary of a corporate structure under which shareholders' equity was not at risk if the company's new management mis-managed its affairs. Railtrack's parent company, Railtrack Group, was placed into members' voluntary liquidation as RT Group on 18 October 2002. The Railtrack business (and its £7 billion debt) had been sold to Network Rail for £500 million, and the various diversified businesses it had created to seek to protect itself from

pos: High Speed 1 LCR/Union Railways in 1996. In 2001, Railtrack announced that, due to its own financial problems, it would not undertake to purchase section 2, triggering a second restructuring. The 2002 plan agreed that the two sections would have different owners (Railtrack for section 1, LCR for section 2) but with common Railtrack management. Following further financial problems at Railtrack, its interest was sold back to LCR, which then sold the operating rights for the completed line to Network Rail, Railtrack's successor. Under this arrangement LCR became the sole owner of both sections of the CTRL and the St Pancras property, as

pos: InterCity West Coast based on a combination of conventional and tilting trains. On 19 February 1997, the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising awarded a 15-year franchise to Virgin Rail Group, with Virgin Trains commencing operations on 9 March 1997. In order for tilting trains to be operated, Railtrack was committed to upgrade the West Coast Main Line to allow 140 mph operation by 2005. In the wake of the collapse of Railtrack and the inability of successor Network Rail to deliver on the upgrade, the franchise was suspended in favour of a management contracts in July 2002. Due to costs having blown out

pos: Reedham railway station (Norfolk) (LNER). Reedham became a LNER station on 1 January 1923. In 1928 the LNER renamed Reedham as Reedham-Norfolk to distinguish it from the Southern Railway) station of Reedham-Surrey. On nationalisation in 1948, the station and its services were transferred to the Eastern Region of British Railways. Following the privatisation of British Rail, Railtrack became responsible for infrastructure maintenance in 1994. Following Railtrack's financial problems Network Rail took over operation of the infrastructure in 2002. The station and its operations came under the Anglia Railways franchise in 1997. Subsequently, National Express East Anglia, then known as 'one', took over management in

pos: Newmarket (Suffolk) railway station current station uses the east end of the down platform and is equipped with basic passenger shelters. Further line rationalisation took place in 1978 when on 1 October tokenless block working was introduced between Newmarket and Dullingham stations. Five years later in May 1983 the line between Dullingham and Coldham Lane Junction was singled leaving a mile long passing loop at Dullingham. In April 1994, Railtrack became responsible for the maintenance of the infrastructure. Railtrack was succeeded by Network Rail in 2002. Passenger services have been operated by the following franchises: The following services in the May 2016 timetable call

pos: Ian McAllister including becoming President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. After retiring from Ford, McAllister has undertaken mainly Government orientated work, with his only non-executive post at Scottish and Newcastle. McAllister was appointed Chairman of Network Rail in October 2002 following the acquisition of Railtrack. On 3 October 2008, he announced that he will not stand for re-election to continue as chairman of Network Rail. He has held this position for six years. In making the announcement, Sir Ian noted that as Network Rail moves to a "new phase in its development," it is appropriate that there be a

pos: Chingford branch line depots. It commenced operation in January 1997. On 3 October 2002 Railtrack was bought by Network Rail who became responsible for the infrastructure on the branch. WAGN operated the Chingford branch from January 1997 until 2004 when the Strategic Rail Authority made changes to the franchise arrangements and the line became part of the Greater Anglia franchise which covered the whole of East Anglia. The new franchise was named the "one" franchise by successful bidder National Express. The "one" franchise was renamed National Express East Anglia and continued operation of the branch until 2012. Operation then passed to the Abellio

pos: Enfield Town branch line the hands of independent business units. The first of the private sector operators was West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) which operated suburban services on the West Anglia Main Line and associated branches. It also operated the suburban services out of Kings Cross and Moorgate stations and its rolling stock was maintained at Hornsey and Ilford depots. It commenced operation in January 1997. On 3 October 2002 Railtrack was bought by Network Rail who became responsible for the infrastructure on the branch. WAGN operated the Enfield branch from January 1997 until 2004 when the Strategic Rail Authority made changes to the

pos: Transport in the United Kingdom £3.7bn in 1992–93 to £3.9bn in 2012–13 (in 2013 prices) but more than halved in terms of subsidy per journey from £4.98 to £2.46. In Britain, the infrastructure (track, stations, depots and signalling chiefly) is owned and maintained by Network Rail, a not-for-profit company. Network Rail replaced Railtrack, which became bankrupt in 2002 following the Hatfield rail crash in 2000. Passenger services are operated by train-operating companies (TOCs), which are franchises awarded by the United Kingdom Government or the Scottish government. Examples include East Midlands Trains and Virgin Trains. Freight trains are operated by freight operating companies, such as DB

pos: Ipswich–Ely line Regional Railways in 1989) became responsible for all local passenger services. In April 1994 Railtrack became responsible for the maintenance of the infrastructure. Railtrack was succeeded by Network Rail in 2002. Passenger services have been operated by the following franchises: The line shares the route between Ipswich and Haughley Junction with the Great Eastern Main Line which is classified as primary line. The section between Haughley Junction and Ely is classified as secondary line with the Cambridge branch being classified as rural. The line from Ipswich to Soham, part way between Kennett and Ely is double track with the remainder,

pos: Impact of the privatisation of British Rail safety incidents. Several major rail crashes occurred in the early years of privatisation including the Southall rail crash (1997), Ladbroke Grove rail crash (1999), Hatfield rail crash (2000) and the Potters Bar rail crash (2002). Since privatisation, the amount of investment has gone up nine-fold, from £698m in 1994–95 to £6.84bn in 2013–14. There is Government investment across the network in speed improvements, electrification, in-cab signalling on the Cambrian Coast Line (paid for by the Welsh Assembly Government), the Northern Hub, the Thameslink Programme, and High Speed 2. Due to the Hatfield accident in 2000, Railtrack undertook large-scale track relaying

pos: London Waterloo station and featured a large group of rail enthusiasts with cameras and recording equipment, attempting to capture the departure of the final steam service to . The electrified service began the next day. The station was managed by Network SouthEast also under BR. Following the privatisation of British Rail, ownership and management passed to Railtrack in April 1994 and finally, in 2002, to Network Rail. In 1994, platforms 20 and 21 were lost to the Waterloo International railway station site, which was the London terminus of Eurostar international trains to Gare du Nord, Paris and . An inaugural service left Waterloo

pos: Brimsdown railway station in 1994 to Railtrack, which was succeeded by Network Rail in 2004. In August 2002, signalling control for the relevant section of track was transferred to the Liverpool Street Integrated Electronic Control Centre (IECC). Following privatisation in 1994, operation of the station was allocated to a business unit before being taken over by West Anglia Great Northern (WAGN) in January 1997, at the time owned by Prism Rail. National Express acquired the franchise-holder in July 2000. The WAGN franchise was replaced in 2003 by the One franchise later renamed National Express East Anglia. Oyster Card readers came into use on

pos: Elmers End station to Connex South Eastern who were originally due to run the franchise until 2011. In 1997 the line to Addiscombe closed – up to this point it was generally worked by a 2-car EMU connecting to and from Hayes services. It re-opened in 2000 as part of the Croydon Tramlink network. Following a number of accidents and financial issues Railtrack plc was sold to Network Rail on 3 October 2002 who became responsible for the infrastructure. On 27 June 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority decided to strip Connex of the franchise citing poor financial management and run the franchise itself.

pos: Iain Coucher EDS in 1985 which led to working on the Oyster card. In 1999 he formed a transport consultancy, Coucher Pender Ltd, in partnership with a colleague Victoria Pender. Through the consultancy, they provided freelance management services to Tube Lines, one of the infrastructure maintenance companies under the London Underground public-private partnership, with Coucher serving as Tube Lines' Chief Executive from 1999–2001. Coucher Pender Ltd also provided consultancy for the creation of the railway infrastructure company Network Rail following the collapse of Railtrack in 2002. Coucher was made Deputy Chief Executive of Network Rail in 2002, stepping up to the role

pos: Jo Moore where it provoked opprobrium about the cynical nature of spin. Moore ultimately made a personal appearance before the cameras to apologise for what she had written. The leaked email appeared on the day after Byers had announced the placing of Railtrack, the private sector rail infrastructure company, into administration. It was eventually to be replaced by Network Rail, a not-for-profit 'public interest company'. In November the department appointed a new Director of Communications, Martin Sixsmith. However, on 13 February 2002 the row flared up again when a leak to the press alleged that Moore had made further attempts to "bury"

pos: Portway Parkway railway station CER in 1890. When the railways were nationalised in 1948, the line came under the aegis of the Western Region of British Railways and, upon privatisation, transferred to Railtrack and later Network Rail. A park and ride was opened near junction 18 of the M5 motorway, adjacent to the railway, in 2002. In 2009 it was proposed that a railway station should be built. The plan was supported by Friends of Suburban Bristol Railways and the Bristol branch of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers. The plan was approved in October 2012. In 2017, £2.23 million was

pos: Lewisham station April 1994 the infrastructure to St Johns station became the responsibility of Railtrack whilst a business unit operated the train services. On 13 October 1996 operation of the passenger services passed to Connex South Eastern who were originally due to run the franchise until 2011. On 22 November 1999 Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott opened the 4·2 km Lewisham extension of London's Docklands Light Railway with trains running through to Bank. Following a number of accidents and financial issues Railtrack plc was sold to Network Rail on 3 October 2002 who became responsible for the infrastructure. On 27 June 2003

pos: Network Rail a "public sector body". To cope with quickly rising passenger numbers, Network Rail is currently undertaking a £38 billion programme of upgrades to the network, including Crossrail, electrification of lines, upgrading Thameslink and a new high-speed line. Britain's railway system was built by private companies, but it was nationalised by the Transport Act 1947 and run by British Railways until re-privatisation which was begun in 1994 and completed in 1997. Infrastructure, passenger and freight services were separated at that time. Between 1994 and 2002 the infrastructure was owned and operated by Railtrack. The Hatfield train crash on 17 October 2000

neg: Network Rail costs of modernising the West Coast Main Line were also spiralling. In 2001, Railtrack announced that, despite making a pre-tax profit before exceptional expenses of £199m, the £733m of costs and compensation paid out over the Hatfield crash had plunged Railtrack from profit into a loss of £534m, and it approached the government for funding, which it then used to pay a £137m dividend to its shareholders in May 2001. Network Rail Ltd took over control by buying Railtrack plc, which was in "railway administration", from Railtrack Group plc for £500 million; Railtrack plc was then renamed and reconstituted as

neg: Strategic Rail Authority rail freight services and the building of freight facilities. The SRA was placed on a formal legal basis by the Transport Act 2000 and came into existence on 1 February 2001. The government wanted the SRA to take a more interventionist role with Railtrack and its successor Network Rail, but never gave it the legal powers to do so. Those powers rested with - and were jealously guarded by - the Rail Regulator, who frequently clashed with the SRA when he believed that it was over-reaching its jurisdiction. The SRA operated under directions and guidance from the Secretary of State

neg: Network Rail was a defining moment in the collapse of Railtrack. The immediate major repairs undertaken across the whole British railway network were estimated to have cost in the order of £580 million and Railtrack had no idea how many more 'Hatfields' were waiting to happen because it had lost considerable in-house engineering skill following the sale or closure of many of the engineering and maintenance functions of British Rail to external companies; nor did the company have any way of assessing the consequence of the speed restrictions it was ordering, which all but brought the railway network to a standstill. The

neg: Hatfield rail crash rail network and a tightening of health and safety procedures, the repercussions of which were still felt up to 15 years later. In 2005, both Railtrack and the contractor Balfour Beatty were found guilty of breaching health and safety laws. A Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) InterCity 225 train bound for Leeds had left London King's Cross at 12:10, and was travelling along the East Coast Main Line at approximately when it derailed south of Hatfield station at 12:23. The train was being driven by an experienced driver, accompanied by a trainee who was expected to take over at Leeds.

neg: Hatfield rail crash Hatfield rail crash The Hatfield rail crash was a railway accident on 17 October 2000, at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. It was caused by a metal fatigue-induced derailment, killing four people and injuring more than 70. Though the accident did not result in a large number of deaths, it exposed major stewardship shortcomings of the privatised national railway infrastructure company Railtrack. Reports found there was a lack of communication and some staff were not aware of maintenance procedures. Railtrack subsequently went into administration and was replaced by Network Rail. The aftermath of the accident saw widespread speed limit reductions throughout the

neg: Network Rail Control Periods improvements over major new schemes. No plans for the Control Period 7 have yet been made. No plans for the Control Period 8 have yet been made. Network Rail Control Periods Network Rail Control Periods are the 5-year timespans into which Network Rail, the owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain, works for financial and other planning purposes. Each Control Period begins on 1 April and ends on 31 March to coincide with the financial year. These periods were inherited from Railtrack, so that the earlier ones are retrospective, and not necessarily of 5 years

neg: History of rail transport in Great Britain 1995 to date main innovation in the early years was the creation of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), initially in shadow form until the Transport Act 2000 received Royal Assent, as well as the appointment of Tom Winsor as Rail Regulator, who took a much harder line with the rail industry, and Railtrack in particular. In the wake of the Hatfield rail crash in 2000, Railtrack entered into financial meltdown and the industry was in deep crisis. Labour refused to continue to bail out Railtrack and the company was put into Railway Administration in 2001 and a new company, Network Rail emerged to

neg: Norwich railway station electrification works in 1986, , a disused suburban station, was put back into service as the temporary terminus of the line. It closed again when Norwich re-opened. The signalling was also modernised at this time and the track layout simplified. Following the Railways Act 1993 ownership of the station passed to a new private company, Railtrack, on 1 April 1994. Railtrack was restructured into Network Rail in 2004. The train services to Norwich were privatised later with most services passing to Anglia Railways in January 1997. Services towards the West Midlands were taken over by Central Trains in March 1997.

neg: Railtrack shortcomings in the company's stewardship of the network were revealed. It was the Hatfield crash on 17 October 2000 that proved to be the defining moment in Railtrack's collapse. The subsequent major repairs undertaken across the whole British rail network are estimated to have cost in the order of £580 million. According to Christian Wolmar, author of "On the Wrong Line", the Railtrack board panicked in the wake of Hatfield. Because most of the engineering skill of British Rail had been sold off into the maintenance and renewal companies, Railtrack had no idea how many Hatfields were waiting to happen,

neg: Hatfield rail crash subsequent interview, the Zone Quality Standards Manager said, "I do not have knowledge of railway engineering nor railway safety", which was completely contrary to the written requirements for the role. In May 1999, the Head of Track had said that insufficiently skilled work was causing more rails to break. Railtrack did not know how many other cases of rail fatigue around the network could lead to a Hatfield-like accident and consequently imposed over 1,800 emergency speed restrictions and instigated a costly nationwide track replacement programme. The company was subject to "enforcement" by the Rail Regulator, Tom Winsor. In 2004, Arthur's

neg: John Swift (barrister) using powers under the Railways Act 1993. The industry was privatised in the period 1995-1997. The most controversial part of the privatisation was the June 1996 flotation on the London stock exchange of Railtrack, the owner and operator of the national railway infrastructure network. Railtrack was severely criticised for its poor stewardship of the national railway network, and some observers also criticised Swift for what some saw as an excessively light touch in regulating a company which was malfunctioning in many ways. A year after the Hatfield rail crash on 17 October 2000, caused by a broken rail, Railtrack collapsed

neg: Rail transport in Great Britain of rail travel was severely damaged by a series of significant accidents after privatisation. These included the Hatfield accident, caused by a rail fragmenting due to the development of microscopic cracks. Following this, the rail infrastructure company Railtrack imposed over 1,200 emergency speed restrictions across its network and instigated an extremely costly nationwide track replacement programme. The consequent severe operational disruption to the national network and the company's spiralling costs set in motion a series of events which resulted in the collapse of the company and its replacement with Network Rail, a state-owned, not-for-profit company. According to the European Railway

neg: History of rail transport in Great Britain the Ladbroke Grove rail crash (also caused by a train going through a red light) and the Hatfield accident (caused by a rail fragmenting due to the development of microscopic cracks). Following the Hatfield accident, the rail infrastructure company Railtrack imposed over 1,200 emergency speed restrictions across its network and instigated an extremely costly nationwide track replacement programme. The consequential severe operational disruption to the national network and the company's spiralling costs set in motion the series of events which resulted in the ultimate collapse of the company and its replacement with Network Rail, a state-owned, not-for-dividend company. Since April

neg: Felixstowe branch line received a 40% grant under Section 8 of the Railways Act 1974 as it would reduce road traffic. In the 1990s British Rail was privatised and the ownership of the line passed to Railtrack. When that company was wound up it was transferred to Network Rail. Passenger services were franchised, first to Anglia Railways on 5 January 1997, then to One on 1 April 2004 (which was rebranded National Express East Anglia on 22 February 2008), and then to Abellio Greater Anglia on 5 February 2012. Railtrack initiated an upgrading of the Felixstowe branch line in 1997, the first time

neg: West Coast Main Line anything more than simple metro lines and light rail systems – not on a complex high-speed heavy-rail network such as the WCML. Despite this, Railtrack made what would prove to be the fatal mistake of not properly assessing the technical viability and cost of implementing moving block prior to promising the speed increase to Virgin and the government. By 1999, with little headway on the modernisation project made, it became apparent to engineers that the technology was not mature enough to be used on the line. The bankruptcy of Railtrack in 2001 and its replacement by Network Rail following the

neg: Railtrack the network and its performance. Swift had been appointed rail regulator in 1993 by the then Conservative transport secretary John MacGregor MP. When the Labour government took over after the general election in May 1997, the new transport secretary (and deputy prime minister) John Prescott took a much harder line. When Swift's five-year term of office expired on 30 November 1998, he was not reappointed. After an interim holding period, during which Chris Bolt, Swift's chief economic adviser and effective deputy, filled the regulator's position, in July 1999 a new rail regulator began a five-year term, and a new, much

neg: Network Rail Control Periods Network Rail Control Periods Network Rail Control Periods are the 5-year timespans into which Network Rail, the owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain, works for financial and other planning purposes. Each Control Period begins on 1 April and ends on 31 March to coincide with the financial year. These periods were inherited from Railtrack, so that the earlier ones are retrospective, and not necessarily of 5 years duration. As Network Rail is responsible for developing and maintaining railway infrastructure, the Control Periods are used to decide priorities for investment. Infrastructure developments have taken place

neg: Thameslink Programme obliged Network Rail/Railtrack to maintain responsibility for funding the project, being terminated in April 2003. Responsibility for project funding was subsequently transferred to the Strategic Rail Authority. Network Rail revised the original proposal and submitted it along with an updated Environmental Statement dated 14 June 2004. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Transport called for a new public inquiry to begin in September 2005. During this period the Strategic Rail Authority was abolished by the Railways Act of 2005, and the Department for Transport (DfT) took over funding responsibility for the project in July 2005. The

neg: Impact of the privatisation of British Rail resolution, up to and including settling disputes in the courts. Critics of privatisation have argued that these systems are costly and time-consuming, and ultimately serve no real purpose when compared to dispute resolution in markets where there is genuine competition. A major dispute arose after the Hatfield rail crash in 2000, when Railtrack imposed over 1,200 emergency speed restrictions on the network as a precautionary measure against further track failures. With political intervention stalled, eventually the passenger and freight train operators—who were losing very large sums of money as a result of the severe operational disruption which was taking place—applied

neg: British Rail Class 901 for radio survey work particularly with the National Radio Network (NRN) and later for video survey work including extensive signal sighting on the WCML prior to the introduction of 125 mile/h running. Like 901001, this unit has carried various liveries, starting with BR Research's silver and grey livery, similar to that carried by 901001. This was followed by Serco red/grey, Railtrack Blue/lime green, and most recently the latest Network Rail all-over yellow livery. This unit was withdrawn and stored at Derby's Railway Technical Centre and was sold by Network Rail to a private buyer in early 2008. It didn't stay

neg: Network Rail denied that it had nationalised the rail network in order to prevent Railtrack's shareholders claiming, via the European Court of Human Rights, the four-year average price of Railtrack, about £10 per share. Instead, Railtrack's shareholders were given only £2.60. "The Times" reported that Gordon Brown's aide, Shriti Vadera e-mailed Stephen Byers in July 2001 asking: "Can we engineer the solution through insolvency ... and therefore avoid compensation under the Human Rights Act?" Railtrack plc was placed into railway administration under the Railways Act 1993 on 7 October 2001, following an application to the High Court by the then Transport Secretary,

neg: British Rail Class 499 stock initially as stores vans, but later as breakdown train tool vans. After 1994, Railtrack allocated Class 499 to identify London Underground electric multiple units used on its lines, in particular the sets used on the Bakerloo line services to Harrow and Wealdstone. However, this did not involve any renumbering of the actual stock involved, and was merely for electronic records. , there are currently two LU services that operate on routes owned and maintained by Network Rail: British Rail Class 499 British Rail allocated Class 499 to a fleet of six luggage vans used in electric multiple unit formations

neg: History of rail transport in Great Britain of the track and infrastructure passed to Railtrack, whilst passenger operations were franchised to individual private sector operators (originally there were 25 franchises) and the freight services sold outright. Since privatisation, passenger levels have since increased to their highest ever level, but whether this is due to privatisation is disputed. The Hatfield accident set in motion the series of events that resulted in the ultimate collapse of Railtrack and its replacement with Network Rail, a state-owned, not-for-dividend company. A wagonway was used by German miners at Caldbeck, Cumbria, England, perhaps from the 1560s. A wagonway was built at Prescot, near

neg: Working timetable that the WTTs are only a set of instructions issued to staff and indicate intended, not actual, train operations, and that this should be borne in mind when using them for historical research. However, Simmons also notes that, read with care, "they show us how railways were "made to work", in normal service, as no other documents can." Current British railway WTTs, compiled by Network Rail, are available online. The versions published by the various pre-grouping railways, the "Big Four (British railway companies)", British Rail(ways), Railtrack and Network Rail in book form and branded "Not for publication" can frequently be

neg: Network Rail that the company's debt would be counted as public expenditure liabilities. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) repeatedly clashed with the National Audit Office and the Statistics Commission over whether the successor to Railtrack should be considered a private company – as the ONS believed – or included on the Government's books, as the National Audit Office argued. The NAO said that as the Government is bearing the risk that would normally be borne by equity capital, and as it can appoint, through the SRA, a director who cannot be removed by members, Network Rail is effectively a subsidiary of

neg: Tom Winsor did not do it publicly. Corbett's resignation was not accepted by Railtrack's board, but a month later when he offered his resignation a second time, it went through. Steve Marshall, the company's finance director, succeeded Corbett. Because Railtrack's asset knowledge was so poor, it did not know with sufficient certainty where else on its network the type of metal fatigue—called gauge corner cracking or rolling contact fatigue—could cause another accident. It imposed over 1200 emergency speed restrictions across the network, causing the effective disintegration of the integrity of the operational network for months. Winsor took further enforcement action against Railtrack,

neg: Tom Winsor Winsor believed Railtrack should concentrate on the core job of operating, maintaining and renewing the national network. Gerald Corbett, Railtrack's chief executive, led the management team which resisted this new regulatory pressure. On 3 April 2000, under the headline 'Railtrack Declares War on Regulator', The Guardian newspaper reported that 'Railtrack is adopting a "culture of defiance" against the rail regulator.' Winsor was reported as describing this stance as an 'attitude which beggars belief'. However, the relationship between the two men was courteous and professional, even though Winsor was a severe critic of the philosophy and approach underlying Corbett's leadership of

neg: Tom Winsor of the economic regulatory regime. Many commentators have subsequently remarked that Railtrack was naive to think the government would ever agree to such a thing, but Railtrack apparently thought so. During this time, Renewco was not set up, and Railtrack (and the Strategic Rail Authority, which was also in the dark about the negotiations) pressed the government to do so. The government did not regard Railtrack's bailout proposals as their only option. They prepared for an alternative in secret, the insolvency of Railtrack. As a result, the company would be put into railway administration, a special kind of corporate status

neg: Railways in Northallerton mooted by Network Rail to provide through running between the Manchester area and Middlesbrough. In 2017, one of the platforms in Northallerton station was lengthened to enable the new Class 800 trains to call at the station on East Coast services. In 2003, the Wensleydale Railway signed a 99-year lease with Railtrack (the predecessor of Network Rail) and started running services on the former Wensleydale line. Initially, trains only ran to as the eastern terminus, but this changed in 2014 when railway station was opened. The station is a temporary structure as the Wensleydale Railway were keen to reopen the

neg: Glazebrook East Junction–Skelton Junction line only Glazebrook East Junction and the line from south of Partington to Skelton Junction were passed over into Railtrack ownership which in turn passed to Network Rail. The trackbed from Cadishead to Partington remained (and remains to this day) in the ownership of BRB (Residuary) Limited. As of 2010 Glazebrook East Junction is still intact and remains part of the national network. The junction towards Cadishead on the original deviation is also still in place with a powered signal lamp showing a permanent red signal. This short section of track from the still live passing loop at Glazebrook East Junction

neg: Leicester railway station Line before proceeding on to the Settle and Carlisle Line. Expresses to Edinburgh, such as "The Waverley" travelled through Corby and Nottingham. When Sectorisation was introduced in the 1980s, the station was served by the Intercity Sector until the Privatisation of British Railways. With the advent of power signalling in 1986, the signal box and the crossovers disappeared, and the tracks approaching the station were relaid to allow trains from any direction to enter or leave any platform. Upon the privatisation of British Rail, the station became owned by Railtrack and later Network Rail, though, in common with most British

neg: Southbury Loop Railtrack was bought by Network Rail who became responsible for the infrastructure on the branch. WAGN operated the Southbury Loop from January 1997 until 2004 when the UK Strategic Rail Authority made changes to the franchise arrangements and the line became part of the Greater Anglia franchise which covered the whole of East Anglia. The new franchise was named the "one" franchise by successful bidder National Express. The single franchise was renamed National Express East Anglia and continued operation of the branch until 2012. Operation then passed to the Abellio Greater Anglia franchise. However, on 31 May 2015 the suburban

neg: Network Rail to minimise and mitigate risks. This is known as the Governance for Railway Investment Projects (GRIP), previously known as “Guide to Rail Investment Projects”. The stages are as follows: Each stage delivers an agreed set of outputs to defined quality criteria. For financial and other planning purposes, Network Rail works within 5-year "Control Periods", each one beginning on 1 April and ending on 31 March to coincide with the financial reporting year. These periods were inherited from Railtrack, so that the earlier ones are retrospective, and not necessarily of 5 years duration. They are as follows: The Secretary of State

neg: British Rail Class 901 fit the Drivers control switch. The unit was originally painted in a unique silver and grey livery. This was replaced by Serco red/grey in the mid-1990s, followed by Railtrack Blue/lime green and finally Network Rail's all-over yellow. This unit was cut-up on site at Oakamoor February/March 2012. This unit was converted in 1991, also from a power twin unit. It was rebuilt by the Research & Development Division (R&DD) of British Rail as a test train known as "Lab 19 - Iris II", supplementing the original "Test Coach Iris", which was a former-Derby Lightweight single-car unit. It was used initially

neg: British Rail Class 73 Gatwick Express locomotives, numbers 73212 and 73213, from its predecessor Railtrack. These were overhauled and painted in the company's blue and green livery. They are used on engineering trains associated with an upgrade of electrical supply systems on the former Southern Region. A third locomotive, number 73141, was originally bought for spare parts, but was returned to traffic in case of failure of one of the other two locomotives. The locomotives were later repainted into Network Rail all-over-yellow with red buffer beams. In 2009, 73141 was acquired by First GBRf, with 73212 and 73213 following shortly afterwards. Currently operating in

neg: Hatfield rail crash against Network Rail/Railtrack and some of its executives were dropped in September 2004, but the other charges stood. The trial began in January 2005; the judge, Mr Justice Mackay, warned that it could go on for a year. On 14 July, the judge instructed the jury to acquit all defendants on charges of manslaughter. A few days later, Balfour Beatty changed its plea to guilty on the health and safety charges, and on 6 September, Network Rail was found guilty of breaching health and safety law. Network Rail were fined £3.5 million while Balfour Beatty were fined £10 million. All

neg: Hatfield rail crash of the manslaughter charges against the executives were dismissed by the judge. Notes Citations Sources Hatfield rail crash The Hatfield rail crash was a railway accident on 17 October 2000, at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. It was caused by a metal fatigue-induced derailment, killing four people and injuring more than 70. Though the accident did not result in a large number of deaths, it exposed major stewardship shortcomings of the privatised national railway infrastructure company Railtrack. Reports found there was a lack of communication and some staff were not aware of maintenance procedures. Railtrack subsequently went into administration and was replaced

neg: Passenger rail franchising in Great Britain led to the nationalisation of Railtrack, the owner of the railway infrastructure, to create Network Rail. On 1 February 2001, the position of Franchising Director was abolished by the Transport Act 2000 and the passenger rail franchising functions were formally transferred to the SRA. The SRA began to doubt its new long-term strategy as it failed to negotiate a 20-year franchise for the East Coast due to uncertainty over Railtack's ability to finance planned upgrades, and abandoned bidding negotiations in July 2001 after 21 months. Instead it elected for a short 2-year extension, hoping the situation would be clearer by

neg: Arrangements between railroads political climate Foster Yeoman were able to obtain the right to run their own trains onto the British Rail network providing British Rail locomotive engineers were used. In 1997 the British Railways network was privatized as a single company Railtrack, and after this proved a total failure as a non-profit company Network Rail. Multiple companies hold rights to operate trains on the national network either as for-profit operators or government aided passenger franchises. A formal safety process exists for gaining access along with driver and equipment requirements as well as a pricing scheme. Any organisation meeting all these requirements can

neg: High Speed 1 pay for the construction of section 1, with the future of section 2 still not settled. The original intention had been for the new railway, once completed, to be run by Union Railways as a separate line from the rest of the British railway network. As part of the 1998 rescue it was agreed that, following completion, section 1 would be purchased by Railtrack with an option to purchase section 2. In return, Railtrack was committed to operate the whole route as well as St Pancras railway station, which, unlike all other former British Rail stations, had been transferred to

neg: Thameslink Programme Rail proposed to expand and upgrade the original network in the early 1990s, with plans to increase the number of stations served from 50 to 169 and to increase passenger capacity by allowing 12-carriage trains and allowing more trains per hour. In 1993 responsibility for the project, intended to be complete by 2000, was transferred to Railtrack as detailed in the Railways Act 1993. This privatisation, combined with a recession in the UK economy, caused the first of many delays to the project. Railtrack applied for Transport and Works Act 1992 powers on 21 November 1997, but two months later

neg: Bramley Line point, the old Wisbech East Goods Yard (acquired by Nestle Purina from Railtrack in 1995) was last used in 2000. Three years after the last pet food train from Wisbech, the remaining three sidings were lifted. Most of the yard area now forms the factory and car park extension. The single track, owned by Network Rail, is still connected to the National Rail network via Whitemoor Junction near March, but locked off. New signalling was installed at the junction during late 2007 for the benefit of outward bound engineering trains from the re-opened Whitemoor Yard, once the second biggest freight

neg: British Rail of dieselisation and electrification took place, and by 1968 steam locomotion had been entirely replaced by diesel and electric traction, except for one narrow-gauge tourist line the Vale of Rheidol Railway. Passengers replaced freight as the main source of business, and one third of the network was closed by the Beeching Axe of the 1960s in an effort to reduce rail subsidies. On privatisation, responsibility for track, signalling and stations was transferred to Railtrack (which was later brought under public control as Network Rail) and that for trains to the train operating companies. The British Rail "double arrow" logo is

neg: Hatfield rail crash union's general secretary said that Network Rail needed to act on their concerns, otherwise there would be industrial action. In 2003, five managers and two companies – Network Rail (as successors of Railtrack) and the division of Balfour Beatty that maintained the track – were charged with manslaughter and breach of health and safety charges in connection with the accident. The managers, Anthony Walker (Balfour Beatty's rail maintenance director), Nicholas Jeffries (its civil engineer), Railtrack's Alistair Cook and Sean Fugill (asset managers for the London North-East zone), and track engineer Keith Lee, all denied the charges. The corporate manslaughter charges

neg: Railtrack tougher regulatory era began. The new rail regulator, Tom Winsor (later Sir Thomas Winsor), had been Swift's general counsel (1993–95), and adopted a more interventionist and aggressive regulatory approach. At times the relationship was stormy, with Railtrack resisting pressure to improve its performance. In April 2000 it was reported in the Guardian that "Railtrack is adopting a deliberate 'culture of defiance' against the rail regulator". Gerald Corbett, Railtrack's chief executive at the time, and Winsor clearly saw things very differently from each other. Railtrack resisted regulatory action to improve its performance, and as the regulator probed ever more deeply, serious

neg: Cheadle Hulme railway station booking office, facing Station Road and approached by a flight of stairs, was built alongside a new booking lobby, toilets and staff accommodation. New entrances to the platforms were built, and the entire station was installed with electric lighting. Station Road was significantly widened and rerouted slightly in 1967 in a further attempt to accommodate increasing traffic. Following the privatisation of British Rail, the station operation was taken over by Railtrack, and later First North Western until 2004 when it was taken over by Northern. In 1996 Railtrack launched a £1 billion programme to restore and renovate every station it

neg: Railtrack over the Hatfield crash plunged Railtrack from profit to a loss of £534m. This caused it to approach the government for funding, which it then controversially used to pay a £137m dividend to its shareholders in May 2001. Railtrack plc was placed into railway administration under the Railways Act 1993 on 7 October 2001, following an application to the High Court by the then Transport Secretary, Stephen Byers. This was effectively a form of bankruptcy protection that allowed the railway network to continue operating despite the financial problems of the operator. The parent company, Railtrack Group plc, was not put

neg: Cambrian Heritage Railways supporting business plan and funding. However, after government owned company Network Rail replaced Railtrack, they stopped negotiations and broke off the deal, stating that they would only deal with a local council. As a result, the CRS withdrew from the CRT, and went back to new direct negotiations with Network Rail. After negotiations failed for a second time, the CRS established a third base on part of the Nantmawr branch at Llanddu Junction. The enthusiasts left in CRT decided to embark on their own project, having been offered the freehold of trackbed between Llynclys and Pant. After obtaining European Union

neg: Gospel Oak to Barking line built and the hourly service from Kentish Town was replaced by the current route from Gospel Oak with two trains per hour. The service remained very unreliable due to the age of the trains, which were initially Class 115 and 108 units, replaced in the early 1990s by class 117 and 121 units. Initially part of British Rail Network SouthEast, the line was privatised in 1994, the track being owned by Railtrack (subsequently Network Rail) with the passenger service provided by the North London Railways franchise. This passed to National Express in 1997, which operated the line under the brand

neg: Windsor & Eton Riverside railway station to Romney Lock was closed and replaced by a footbridge. Vehicular access to the lock was maintained by a road constructed on the north side of the station through the former goods yard which became the station car park. As part of the privatisation of British Rail, the Stagecoach Group company South West Trains took over operation of the service and the station in 1996. Ownership of the line and station passed to Railtrack and subsequently to Network Rail. The Windsor Link Railway is a proposed new railway, connecting the Great Western and South Western Railway franchise areas and potentially

neg: Tom Winsor Tom Winsor Sir Thomas Philip Winsor (born 7 December 1957) is a British lawyer and economic regulatory professional. He serves as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary, a position he has held since 1 October 2012. Born in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, Winsor practised law in various capacities from 1979 to 1999. He served as the Rail Regulator and International Rail Regulator for Great Britain from July 1999 to July 2004. He oversaw the collapse of Railtrack, the infrastructure manager for the British rail network. In October 2010, UK Home Secretary Theresa May MP appointed him to carry out a controversial,

neg: Impact of the privatisation of British Rail to the Rail Regulator for enforcement action against Railtrack. That action was taken almost immediately and normal network performance was established a few months later. A study by the European Commission which looked at how the railways in Europe have progressed and improved since the 1990s found that the UK network was most improved out of all the 27 EU nations from 1997–2012. The report examined a range of 14 different factors and the UK came top in four of the factors, second and third in another two and fourth in three, coming top overall. The Adam Smith Institute has

neg: Privatisation of British Rail Rail Infrastructure Services (BRIS) took responsibility for the engineering requirements of the railway. BRIS was subsequently organised for privatisation on the basis of seven infrastructure maintenance units (IMUs), which maintained the railway, and six track renewal units (TRUs), which replaced rail lines, both organised geographically. Railtrack was the first company created. It took over ownership of all track, signalling and stations. Railtrack let out most of the 2,509 stations to the franchised passenger train operators, managing only a handful (twelve, later seventeen) of the largest city termini itself. Since maintenance and renewal of the infrastructure was to be sub-contracted (to

neg: New England Quarter brownfield site in the city. URBED (the Urban and Economic Development Group), a not-for-profit urban regeneration consultancy, designed and developed the master plan for the scheme on behalf of the New England Consortium. This is a group of companies and interested parties which together have the overall responsibility for the scheme, including Network Rail Infrastructure Ltd, J. Sainsbury Developments Ltd and Quintain Estates and Development (QED). The land was originally owned by British Rail, but passed to Railtrack when the railway system was privatised in the mid-1990s. It was sold to the New England Consortium in 1997. An initial planning

neg: British Rail Class 488 for use as test trains or simply as brake-force runners. These sets have been repainted into either the now obsolete Railtrack blue/lime green livery or the new Network Rail yellow livery. Two sets, 8307 and 8309, have been reclassified as Class 910 departmental units and renumbered 910002 and 910001 respectively. In addition two coaches have been converted for departmental use with Network Rail: In 2001 eight carriages were sold to Northern Ireland Railways for further use as locomotive-hauled stock in combination with the 111 Class locomotive, and renumbered 8941 to 8948. The NIR coaches were withdrawn on 19 January 2005,

neg: Privatisation of British Rail contract for the use of track, stations or certain maintenance facilities could be valid), to enforce domestic competition law, to issue, modify and enforce operating licences and to supervise the development of certain industry-wide codes, the most important of which is the network code. ORR's role only covered economic regulation; crucially reviewing every five years the access charges Railtrack could charge train operators for the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the national railway network. Safety regulation remained the responsibility of the Health & Safety Executive. The first Rail Regulator was John Swift. The Director of Passenger Rail Franchising took

neg: Stobart Rail Limited Stobart Rail Limited Stobart Rail Limited (formerly W.A. Developments Ltd. and trading as Stobart Rail) is a railway maintenance and infrastructure engineering company in the United Kingdom. Stobart Rail comes under the Rail division of the Stobart Group. Stobart Rail was founded on 25 May 1993 by William Andrew Tinkler as W.A. Developments Civil Engineering in Carlisle, with an initial capital investment of £500. The company was involved in civil engineering and railway infrastructure project contracts. The company gained a contract with Railtrack (now Network Rail). The business was incorporated as W.A. Developments Ltd. W.A. Developments Ltd.'s parent company, WA

neg: Tom Winsor action against the Secretary of State for Transport for misfeasance in public office. Not all aspects of the administration of Railtrack were aired in that case. In the House of Commons on 24 October 2005, further criticism was levelled at the government concerning the circumstances in which Railtrack went into administration. Shadow transport secretary Alan Duncan and Kenneth Clarke QC MP, made those criticisms. Transport Secretary Alistair Darling and Stephen Byers defended them. In 2006 two of Winsor's policies established whilst he was Rail Regulator were challenged in the High Court in London. The issues were the structure of network

neg: Transport in New Zealand protecting the railways from competition for fifty years. The transport industry became fully deregulated in 1983. Between 1982 and 1993 the rail industry underwent a major overhaul involving corporatisation, restructuring, downsizing, line and station closures and privatisation. In 1993 the network was privatised, and until 2003 the national network was owned by Tranz Rail, previously New Zealand Rail Limited. The Government agreed to take over control of the national rail network back when Toll Holdings purchased Tranz Rail in 2003. In May 2008 the Government agreed to buy Toll NZ's rail and ferry operations for $665 million, and renamed the

neg: Thameslink Programme (ODPM, now known as the Department for Communities and Local Government) published the Inspector's report, which stated that although there was a strong case for the project, the Inspector did not recommend that the project should be given approval as there were three 'deficiencies' that he was not satisfied with: As a result, the Deputy Prime Minister said in January 2003 that the project would not receive approval and that Network Rail (which had replaced Railtrack by this time) must submit improved proposals and a new Environmental Statement. The delay also led to the 'Thameslink 2000 Agreement', the contract that