The reason for this exercise is to "benchmark its performance" so the eight businesses will operate under the Network Rail umbrella. Whether that umbrella will have eight different colours is not yet known and will be named:
- Network Rail Anglia
- Network Rail London North Eastern & East Midlands (imagine getting that on a mug!)
- Network Rail London North Western
- Network Rail Scotland
- Network Rail South East
- Network Rail Wales
- Network Rail Wessex
- Network Rail Western
Chief executive Mark Carne suggests that this "creates a spirit of competition and enterprise within the company" although that may well be management-speak for splitting the company up and allowing Aldi Rail, Lidl Rail and Netto Railways to come along and run their part of the business.
Could this be just a nothing?
Well you'd like to think so but since Network Rail ended up on the government's books again, admittedly in a different form from the time before, it's not been George Osborne's favourite and to sell it off provides the opportunity to lose much of the debt that it incurs with the beleaguered infrastructure provider.
So what after this move?
Allegedly nothing will change for us outside of Network Rail, fortunately for the freight companies and the likes of Arriva CrossCountry who span two, three or even four of the NR routes. What will be interesting is whether the current hub at Milton Keynes remains and whether each route will have its own MK and the decisions that will be made at a reasonably local level. This fits in with the devolution being performed by government which is making many wonder if the Department for Transport in its current form will last for much longer. That's perhaps something for another day.
Is it all bad news though?
Not really. Things are starting to get moving after a disastrous year for Network Rail and the brakes being applied on its control periods. What does remain to be seen is whether the big schemes will continue and the smaller jobs will be brushed under the carpet.
Whatever happens, the situation cannot go on like this forever and will make 2016 a very interesting year for whatever Network Rail becomes.
Netto Railways - it's Scandinavian for value!
