Working With Us
“When it comes to third party enhancements, the rail industry hasn’t always been easy to work with.”
Network Rail has listened to its customers and taken action to make it easier for you to invest with us by:
- Creating template contractual agreements, approved by the Office of Rail Regulation
- Establishing dedicated Route Enhancements teams
- Strengthening our Projects & Investments teams and training them in professional project management skills to help deliver third party projects
- Providing better information and improved access to specialised business contacts
Some facts and figures…
Third party expenditure on enhancements to the network is estimated to be between £200-300 million per annum, or around. £1 billion, over the next three years.
There are over 200 significant schemes each year.
Investment in the Network
Third parties have a big role to play in investing in the rail network
Network Rail is the principal point of contact for customers and stakeholders (such as developers and funders) wishing to invest in the rail network infrastructure (also referred to as enhancement of the network). This might include building on a Network Rail station, or other property sites, or changing rail infrastructure to deliver a specified benefit.
Your proposals are welcomed
We welcome proposals to enhance the network and will work proactively with customers and stakeholders to develop their ideas. We also need to manage potential risks to the operational railway and therefore must balance the proposed enhancements against our current operational business and existing customer and stakeholder requirements. The earlier that Network Rail is involved in the development of a project, the greater focus we can give to influencing its scope and facilitating its delivery. While this will make the proposal more likely to be compatible with our existing obligations, it can also add value to the proposed output by providing a robust assessment of any interface risks with our existing operation, maintenance and renewal activities, as well as understanding how the proposal fits with Route Utilisation Strategies.
Third party enhancements that Network Rail is involved with range from small improvements to a station forecourt, to schemes of national importance such as the Department for Transport’s ‘Railways For All’ programme that is investing £30 million a year for the next decade to improve access for disabled people.
Find out more information on property management, sales, development and services.
See the latest on our ambitious plans for station development.
For information about Network Rail’s Discretionary Fund (NRDF), click here.
Who are our customers and stakeholders?
Our customers and stakeholders include Transport Scotland, the Welsh Assembly Government, Transport for London, Passenger Transport Executives, Regional Transport Partnerships, local authorities, developers, promoters of freight enhancements, port operators and passenger train operators, among others.