31 October 2023
Our final determination for the periodic review 2023 (PR23) of Network Rail sets out our assessment of Network Rail’s plans for spending £43.1 billion for Britain’s railway network in control period 7 (CP7). CP7 runs from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029.
ORR's periodic review process is one of the principal mechanisms by which we hold Network Rail to account and secure value for money for users and funders of the railway.
PR23 determines what Network Rail is expected to deliver with respect to its operation, support, maintenance and renewal (OSMR) of the network during CP7 and how the available funding should be best used to support this.
Our focus during PR23 has remained on the four objectives we outlined in our launch letter in June 2021: safety, performance, asset sustainability and efficiency.
Our final determination follows our consultation on the PR23 draft determination. We consulted on our draft determination from 15 June to 31 August 2023.
Overview documents
- PR23 final determination: summary of conclusions and overview for England & Wales
- PR23 final determination: summary of conclusions and settlement for Scotland
Introduction
Consolidated list of decisions for England & Wales and Scotland
Timeline
Settlement documents
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Settlement documents for each of the England & Wales regions, Scotland and the system operator detailing our expectations about the funding that will be allocated to each region and the system operator and the outputs that will be delivered by them.
- PR23 final determination: settlement document for the Eastern region
- PR23 final determination: settlement document for the Southern region
- PR23 final determination: settlement document for the North West & Central region
- PR23 final determination: settlement document for the Wales & Western region
- PR23 final determination: settlement document for the System Operator
See our PR23 final determination: summary of conclusions and settlement for Scotland document for detailed information for Scotland.
Supporting documents
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Supporting documents which set out our technical assessments in the areas of: health and safety, outcomes, sustainable and efficient costs, national functions and income.
- PR23 final determination: supporting document – health and safety
- PR23 final determination: supporting document – outcomes
- PR23 final determination: supporting document – sustainable and efficient costs
- PR23 final determination: supporting document – National Functions
- PR23 final determination: supporting document – other income
We have also published a list of consultants and independent reporters' studies for PR23.
Policy positions
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Policy positions covering access charges, performance and possessions incentive regimes, our intended approach for the financial framework and for managing change during CP7.
- PR23 final determination: policy position – financial framework
- PR23 final determination: policy position – access charges
- PR23 final determination: policy position – schedules 4 (possessions) and 8 (performance) incentives regimes
- PR23 final determination: policy position – managing change
- PR23 final determination: policy position – holding to account
With the exceptions of Managing Change and Holding to Account, our policy position documents include our assessment of stakeholder views on our proposals:
We have also published a consolidated set of assessments of the impact of our final policies on the Schedules 4 and 8 incentives regimes and access charges on affected parties:
Delivery plan for CP7
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We expect Network Rail to issue a delivery plan for CP7 that is consistent with our final determination. We have published a delivery plan notice alongside our final determination which sets out expectations for the scope and timing of the delivery plan.
Responses to our draft determination
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Network Rail’s response to our consultation on the draft determination comprises of the following documents:
- Network Rail PR23 draft determination response: Key messages
- Network Rail PR23 detailed draft determination response
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination response: Scotland’s Railway
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination regional response: Eastern
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination regional response: Wales & Western
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination regional response: Southern
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination regional response: North West & Central
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination functional response: System Operator
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination functional response: Route Services
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination functional response: Technical Authority
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination functional response: Corporate Services and Property
- Network Rail’s PR23 draft determination supplementary response: Train performance
We have also published:
Network Grant for CP7
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We have written to Network Rail, the Department for Transport and the Scottish Government setting out our assumptions on the CP7 network grant payments and our approval of the grant mechanisms.
- PR23 control period 7 Network Grant payments
- Approval of Grant Mechanism for the Purposes of Part 3A (English and Welsh Grant Dilution) of Schedule 7 of Track Access Agreements between Network Rail Infrastructure Limited and specified passenger train operators and Variation of annual amounts of Network Grant - Letter to DfT and Network Rail dated 28 February 2024
- Approval of Grant Mechanism for the Purposes of Part 3A (Scottish Grant Dilution) of Schedule 7 of Track Access Agreements between Network Rail Infrastructure Limited and specified passenger train operators and Variation of annual amounts of Network Grant - Letter to the Scottish Government and Network Rail dated 28 February 2024