Safety fears as Network Rail cuts track work to save cash

Fears over more late and cancelled trains escalated today as Network Rail announced it is cutting back on the amount of worn out track it replaces in order to save cash.

The company has told its four contractors which renew the rail lines that it will reduce the amount of tracks it replaces "significantly" next year.

This will mean much track and points replacement being "pushed back" for several years.

NR confirmed it is facing "tough efficiency targets" following demands by the controlling Office of Rail Regulation that it cuts costs. Not-for-profit NR, which looks after the national infrastructure had planned to spend
£29.1 billion over the next five years.

Rail spending is divided into five year periods, the next sector lasting from this year until 2014. Spending plans were cut back by the regulator to £26.7 billion last October — £2.4 billion under what NR considers essential.

Gerry Doherty, general secretary of the TSSA transport union, said: "Lack of cash must not be allowed to reduce safety. Passengers will have every right to be worried at this announcement that NR plans to delay track work."

A spokesman for Network Rail, which replaced disgraced Railtrack, confirmed that replacing track is "too expensive."

He said "We have tough efficiency targets to meet, mandated by the Office of Rail Regulation ...We are deferring work in 2009/2010 to subsequent years when cheaper and more efficient ways of doing track renewals with new high-output equipment comes on stream."

He said there is "absolutely no question" that worn our track and other equipment would not be replaced.