Wednesday 3 Mar 2010
NETWORK RAIL RESPONDS TO THE ORR AND TRADES UNIONS ON ITS PLANS TO RE-ORGANISE ITS MAINTENANCE FUNCTION
- Region & Route:
- National
A Network Rail spokesperson said:
"Today Network Rail welcomes the support of the Office of Rail Regulation for our maintenance re-organisation. An efficient railway is a safe railway. As the ORR clearly says, the principles of our changes are sound and appropriate.
"The ORR has done a thorough job on auditing our proposals and where they have raised concerns we are addressing them. Working together, we are all committed to a safe, efficient and reliable railway. Unnecessary and unwanted strike actions jeopardise the progress we have all made in transforming the railway for the British people.
"Union leaders who defend out-dated work practices from the 1950s are standing in the way of that progress. This is the digital age not the steam age so we need to change so we can deliver the railway Britain needs in the 21st century."
Notes to editors
The attached letter responds in detail to issues raised by the ORR.
Speaking of Network Rail’s plans for maintenance, ORR chief executive Bill Emery said:
“We fully support the changes proposed in Network Rail's maintenance restructuring plans, which aim to improve efficiency as well as sustain improvements in its safety record.”
Commenting on the monitor, Mr Emery added: “As we are approaching the end of the first year of the current five-year control period, Network Rail continues to make good progress in delivering the output commitments established by our 2008 periodic review.”
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