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Network Rail

Volume 470: debated on Tuesday 22 January 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how frequently she has met executives from Network Rail in each of the last six months; (178565)

(2) what meetings she had with executives from Network Rail in each of the last three months; and what was discussed at each meeting.

The Secretary of State for Transport holds regular bilateral meetings with senior executives from Network Rail to discuss issues of common interest. In the last six months four such meetings have been held.

In addition, the Secretary of State met with Iain Coucher, chief executive of Network Rail, on 3 January, to express her concern at the inconvenience caused to passengers and freight operators by Network Rail's engineering over-runs over the new year period and to seek reassurances that these would not be repeated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proposals (a) she and (b) the Office of Rail Regulation has for the strengthening of the conditions of Network Rail's network licence. (180493)

[holding answer 21 January 2008]: The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) began a planned review of Network Rail's network licence in 2007 with a view to giving it a more purposeful format and to ensure that it remains fit for purpose going forward. In reviewing Network Rail's licence, ORR will take into account the findings of their investigation into the recent over-running engineering works, to the extent that these are relevant.