The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published the track access dashboard for the first time.
The dashboard provides an overview of how passenger and freight train are using the available capacity on the British rail network and how effectively the industry is meeting timetabling timescales.
The data will help the rail industry to make more efficient use of the rail network and support how ORR holds Network Rail and operators to account for meeting timetabling timescales.
Stephanie Tobyn, Director of Strategy, Policy and Reform at ORR, said:
“Efficient use of network capacity is important for an affordable railway and robust timetables are fundamental if passengers are going to be able to travel with confidence.”
“We’ve worked with the rail industry to increase clarity and transparency in these important areas and in doing so, we’re supporting improvement in how rail network capacity is used and timetables are planned in the interest of passengers.”
The timetabling access dashboard shows that for the December 2023 timetable change, 25 new requests for access to the rail network were made, with 16 submitted after the industry deadline for publishing the timetable.
The dashboard also shows that with the new timetable the industry planned to use 84% of the rail network’s maximum capacity.
ORR now expects Network Rail and existing and new train operators to use the dashboard to support more efficient and effective service planning, by introducing new services or releasing rights where they are no longer required.
Image credit: iStock
