The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) has officially accepted Network Rail’s comprehensive plan aimed at improving train performance across Wales and Western England. This development promises more reliable journeys for rail passengers, including those on some of the UK’s busiest routes into and out of London Paddington.
Network Rail submitted this detailed improvement plan following the ORR’s investigation into performance issues in the Wales & Western region, which began in autumn 2023. The plan outlines over 50 practical activities, most of which are set to be implemented this year and next, ensuring tangible benefits for both passengers and freight users. Extending through to 2029, the plan was crafted with input from train operators, industry bodies, and passenger groups.
Significant improvements are already underway. Throughout 2024, Network Rail has been investing heavily in infrastructure renewals and accelerated maintenance, such as replacing track sections prone to causing delays. These efforts have already started to yield positive results, with overall train performance in Wales & Western showing improvement over the past five months.
The ORR-approved plan is robust and evidence-based, detailing further actions to ensure sustained enhancements in train service performance across the region. It is built around four key themes: effective planning for cumulative changes, understanding delay factors, learning from incidents, and ensuring the right leadership, structure, culture, and governance.
Rob Cairns, Regional Managing Director for Network Rail Wales & Western said: “We are determined to do everything we can to provide a more reliable railway for passengers and freight and are already underway with delivering our far-reaching performance improvement plan. There are encouraging signs that that this is having a positive impact across the region, but there is much more to do. Working closely with our industry partners, we will not rest until we consistently deliver train performance at the levels that passengers rightly expect.
“We've engaged openly and transparently with the ORR throughout their investigation and are pleased that they have now accepted our performance improvement plan.”
Network Rail’s Wales and Western region includes the routes out of London Paddington towards Heathrow, Oxford, Bristol and on towards Devon and Cornwall. It also includes the rail network in Wales.
Image credit: Network Rail
