Supplementary memorandum by Network Rail
(RR 29A)
RE: INDICATIVE
MAINTENANCE AND
RENEWALS EXPENDITURE
ON RURAL
ROUTES
As you will recall, when Iain Coucher and Paul
Plummer appeared before the Committee earlier this month they
undertook to research the overall maintenance and renewals expenditure
on rural routes for the Committee. I am now in a position to come
back to you on this question.
As we have mentioned previously, this is not
a straightforward question to answer and the figures we provide
below are based on a number of assumptions and definitions which
require some explanation.
Firstly, the definition of "rural routes"
is clearly vital. All routes on the network are classified by
Network Rail as Primary, London and South East, Secondary, Rural,
or Freight Only. The criteria for classification are that routes
have the following similarities:
— Traffic (mix, type, tonnage)
— Track construction (component types)
— Business value (track access, performance
costs etc)
— Output measure requirements (geometry,
broken rails, TSRs etc)
— Maintenance and renewal regime requirements
(driven by above criteria)
A map detailing which lines are classified in
which category is available on page 8 of section 11 of the Network
Rail 2004 Technical Plan. This document is available at http://www.networkrail.co.uk/Documents/bus_lan_004/S11%20-%20%20Network%20Capability.pdf.
Based on this definition, some 6% of passenger
train mileage and 5% of Network Rail expenditure in 2004-05 is
on maintenance and renewals of rural lines. Based on the assumption
that this proportion is constant over the previous five years
(historic data is not available) this would indicate expenditure
on maintenance and renewals on rural lines over the last five
years is set out in the following table.
Indicative maintenance and renewals expenditure
on rural lines
| | 2000-01
| 2001-02 | 2002-03
| 2003-04 | 2004-05
|
| | £m
| £m | £m
| £m | £m
|
| Maintenance | 40
| 50 | 60 | 70 |
60 |
| Renewals | 90
| 110 | 130 | 160
| 160 |
| | |
| | | |
As I have said, it is very important to stress that the above
figures are indicative based on the assumptions and the definition
of rural lines I have outlined above.
As we outlined during the session, Network Rail expenditure
on any line is carried-out in a non-discriminatory way and based
on the requirements of train services on the line, rather than
on any arbitrary definition of the line in question. Therefore,
all lines on the railway are maintained and renewed to be "fit-for-purpose"
to facilitate the required volume and character of train services
and delivered in the most cost efficient way possible.
I hope this information is of use to the Committee.
Chris Rumfitt
18 November 2004
| 
