Network Rail facts for kids
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| Government-owned company/non-departmental public body (incorporated as a private company limited by guarantee without share capital) |
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| Industry | Rail infrastructure and asset management |
| Predecessor | Railtrack |
| Successor | Great British Railways (from 2024) |
| Founded | 3 October 2002 |
| Headquarters | 1 Eversholt Street London NW1 2DN |
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Key people
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| Products | Public transport |
| Revenue | £6.6 billion (2019) |
| Owner | HM Government (Department for Transport) |
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Number of employees
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42,099 (2020) |
Network Rail Limited is the company that owns and manages most of the railway lines in Great Britain. It's like the landlord and caretaker for the tracks, signals, and many stations. Network Rail is a special type of public body that doesn't have shareholders. This means it puts all its earnings back into improving the railways.
Network Rail's main customers are the private companies that run passenger trains (called train operating companies) and freight trains. These companies use the railway lines that Network Rail owns and looks after. Since 2014, Network Rail has been officially seen as a "public sector body," meaning it's part of the government's operations.
Because more and more people are using trains, Network Rail has been working on a huge £38 billion plan to upgrade the railway network. This includes big projects like Crossrail, adding electric lines, and improving the Thameslink route.
In 2021, the government announced that Network Rail would be replaced by a new public body called Great British Railways. This change is expected to happen in 2024.
Contents
History of Network Rail
How the Railways Changed Hands
Britain's railway system was first built by private companies. But after World War II, the government took control of them in 1947, and they were run by British Railways. Later, between 1994 and 1997, the railways were sold back to private companies. As part of this change, the railway lines, passenger services, and freight services were split into separate businesses. From 1994 to 2002, the railway lines were owned and run by a private company called Railtrack.
After several serious train accidents, like the Hatfield train crash in 2000, people started to worry about how safe the railway was. Railtrack was heavily criticised for not keeping the tracks in good condition and for its safety record. The company had also outsourced a lot of its engineering work, which meant it lost many of its own skilled engineers. This made it hard for Railtrack to fix problems quickly or even know how many issues existed.
Major projects, like upgrading the West Coast Main Line, also ran into big problems, with costs soaring from £2 billion to about £10 billion. Railtrack also struggled with its plans for High Speed 1. Because of all these issues and financial problems, Railtrack was put into a special kind of administration in October 2001.
Starting Network Rail
Network Rail Ltd. was created to take over the railway lines from Railtrack. It bought Railtrack plc for £500 million, and the deal was completed on 3 October 2002. Railtrack plc was then renamed Network Rail Infrastructure Limited. This meant the old company didn't disappear, but continued under a new name.
Network Rail owns the railway lines, signals, overhead wires, tunnels, bridges, and most stations. However, it doesn't own the trains themselves. While it owns over 2,500 railway stations, it only manages 20 of the biggest and busiest ones. Other stations are managed by the train companies that use them. It's important not to confuse Network Rail with National Rail. National Rail is just a brand name used to help passengers find information about train services across the country.
At first, Network Rail hired many private companies to do maintenance work. But in 2003, it decided to take over all maintenance work itself. This was because of concerns about the quality of work and rising costs. Network Rail has since grown its own engineering teams and has saved a lot of money by doing more work in-house.
Network Rail has also changed its office locations over the years. In 2012, it opened a new national centre called the Quadrant:MK in Milton Keynes, which can hold over 3,000 employees.
Working Together and Electrifying Lines
In 2011, Network Rail started to organise itself into nine smaller, regional groups. This was a step towards working more closely with the train companies. In 2016, the government announced that Network Rail would share control of track maintenance with the train operating companies.
Network Rail has also worked on many projects to add electric lines to the railway. For example, they started electrifying the Great Western main line. However, some of these projects faced challenges, like rising costs and delays. In some cases, plans had to be changed, and some electrification projects were even cancelled or postponed.
Network Rail is also trying to use more solar power to run the railway. In 2014, they opened the world's largest solar-powered bridge at London Blackfriars station. The roof of the bridge is covered with 4,400 solar panels, which provide a lot of the energy for the station. Solar panels are also used at other stations and depots.
The Future: Great British Railways
As mentioned earlier, the government announced in May 2021 that Network Rail will be replaced by a new organisation called Great British Railways in 2024.
How Network Rail is Funded
Network Rail is a "not-for-profit" organisation. This means it doesn't try to make money for shareholders. Most of its money comes from the UK and Scottish Governments. It also gets payments from the train and freight companies that use its railway lines. A small amount of income comes from its commercial properties.
Network Rail plans its work and finances in five-year cycles called "Control Periods." The government decides what it wants Network Rail to achieve and how much money it can provide. Then, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) sets how much Network Rail can charge train companies and how much money it needs to run efficiently. The current Control Period, called Control Period 6, started on 1 April 2019.
In 2019, Network Rail spent a lot of money on improving and maintaining the railway. For example, it spent £3.1 billion on renewing existing tracks and equipment, and £3.2 billion on making enhancements and upgrades.
What Network Rail Owns
Railway Infrastructure
Network Rail looks after a huge network of railway lines, covering 20,000 miles of track. It also manages 30,000 bridges, tunnels, and viaducts. They even claim to run the world's largest "third rail" network, which is a way of powering trains using an extra rail.
Network Rail has opened special operations centres where its staff work together with train companies to manage the railway. These centres help to improve how trains run and deal with any problems.
A big part of Network Rail's job is track renewal, which means constantly modernising the railway by replacing old tracks and signalling systems. Major projects include upgrading the London to Glasgow West Coast Main Line and working on parts of Crossrail.
Network Rail uses a special internal database called GEOGIS to keep track of all its infrastructure. This system uses codes to identify every part of the railway line.
To deal with slippery tracks caused by leaves, Network Rail uses high-tech methods. This includes using satellites to find problem areas, special trains that spray water to clean the tracks, and crews who use scrubbers and a substance called Natrusolve to dissolve leaf buildup.
Stations Network Rail Manages
Network Rail owns over 2,500 railway stations. Most of these are managed by the train companies that use them. However, Network Rail directly manages 20 of the busiest stations. These include:
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National Stations
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London Stations |
A few stations on the National Rail network are not owned by Network Rail. These include stations like Ardrossan Harbour (owned by Peel Ports) and Ebbsfleet International (owned by HS1 Ltd).
Training and Technology
Network Rail has several training centres across Britain, in places like York, Peterborough, and Derby. These centres provide courses to train staff in new equipment and refresh their skills. They also have an apprenticeship scheme where trainees learn important engineering skills.
Network Rail also runs a very large private telecoms network in the UK. This network is essential for controlling signals, managing electric lines, and communicating with trains and staff. They use different radio systems, including the National Radio Network (NRN) and are introducing GSM-R radio systems, which are used across Europe.
Trains for Maintenance
Network Rail operates a variety of trains and vehicles for safety checks and maintenance. This fleet is different from the passenger and freight trains run by other companies. Network Rail uses these special trains for tasks like inspecting tracks, grinding rails, and treating tracks to prevent problems like slippery leaves. They also hire freight locomotives from other companies to help with maintenance and renewal work.
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A breakdown crane used by Network Rail.
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A special train that grinds rails to keep them smooth.
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The New Measurement Train, which checks the tracks at high speed.
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A railhead treatment train, used to clean the tracks.
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A Stoneblower train at Didcot, used to improve the track bed.
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Improving the Railway
Current Upgrade Plans
From 1997 to 2014, the number of train passengers more than doubled. To handle this increase, Network Rail is working on a huge £38 billion programme of upgrades. These include big projects like Crossrail, adding more electric lines, putting in new in-cab signalling systems, and improving the Thameslink route. They are also working on a new high-speed line.
How Projects are Managed
For big investment projects, Network Rail uses an eight-stage process called GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects). This process helps them plan and manage projects carefully to reduce risks. It covers everything from defining what needs to be done to the final completion and handover of the project.
Planning Periods
Network Rail uses "Control Periods" for its financial and planning purposes. Each period lasts five years, starting on 1 April and ending on 31 March. These periods help the government and Network Rail plan what work needs to be done and how much money will be spent. The current period is Control Period 6 (2019–2024).
Network Rail also publishes "Route Plans" each year. These plans divide the railway network into different areas and detail the geography, stations, and any issues in each area. They also provide information on things like track speed, number of tracks, and future plans for each route.
How Network Rail is Run
Who Network Rail Answers To
Network Rail is accountable to several groups. It answers to a group of members, to the train companies it works with, and to the public through the Office of Rail and Road (ORR).
Since July 2015, the main member of Network Rail is the Secretary of State for Transport. Before that, there were about 100 members from the railway industry and the public. These members helped to hold the board of directors accountable for how they managed the company.
The company's board of directors is responsible for setting the direction and managing Network Rail day-to-day. Their decisions must follow the rules set by the ORR and the requirements of their contracts. The ORR, in turn, works within the overall transport policies set by the UK government. This means the government has a lot of influence over Network Rail.
Checking Performance
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) constantly checks Network Rail's performance against targets. If Network Rail's performance is not good, it can face criticism and possible action from its customers and from the ORR. For example, in 2014/15, the ORR reported that train performance in England and Wales was slightly below its target.
Safety on the Tracks
Network Rail has introduced many safety measures since it started. One important rule, called "All Orange," means that all staff working on or near the tracks must wear orange high-visibility trousers, not just jackets. This rule helps them to be seen more easily.
All workers who are on or near the railway lines must pass a medical check and complete a special safety training course called Personal Track Safety (PTS). They get a PTS card, which needs to be renewed every two years. Workers also have regular assessments to make sure they keep their skills up to date.
Public or Private?
For a long time, there was a debate about whether Network Rail should be considered a public or private company. Even though it was officially a private company, the government guaranteed its debts and provided some of its funding. This led many to call it "nationalised in all but name."
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the National Audit Office disagreed on this point. The National Audit Office argued that because the government took on the financial risks and could appoint directors, Network Rail was effectively a government-controlled company.
In December 2013, the ONS announced that Network Rail would be classified as a "government body" starting from September 2014. As a result, Network Rail's debt, which was £34 billion at the time, was added to the national debt.
Photography Competition
Network Rail also organises the Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. The best photos are shown at London Waterloo and other major stations.
See also
- Campaign to Bring Back British Rail
- Northern Ireland Railways
- Financing of the rail industry in Great Britain
- Network Rail Certification Body
