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Efficient and dependable partner

We must manage the cost of running the railway and become more efficient. The more efficient we are, the more we can invest for passengers. We’ve been entrusted public money and it’s our duty to spend it wisely.

Delivering at SPEED

We’ve challenged ourselves to half the time, and half the cost of our engineering – when we build new infrastructure, and for all our regular maintenance and repairs we do to keep the railway running.

It’s a transformational shift in how we develop, plan and deliver new infrastructure projects and engineering, to be faster, better and cheaper. Through the Network Rail and DfT Rail SPEED programme, we’ve looked at 11 key areas where we can remove layers of process and bureaucracy to free-up time and focus on doing the things that matter, safely. We’re now applying that learning to our processes and projects, which is expected to save billions and cut years off delivery.

New technology, innovation and working smarter

We’re exploring a portfolio of new technologies to speed-up our work, on and off the track. We’re implementing new streamlined processes and structures that make us more agile, and more effective at what we do. And we’re looking at innovative ways of working – better planning, better deals, better designs – that will allow us to deliver our plans for passengers at lower cost.

By 2024, we will deliver £4bn of efficiencies in operations, maintenance, and renewals (running the railway) by pursuing better value and doing more for less.

By 2024, we will deliver approximately £2bn of efficiencies enhancements and new infrastructure projects (building the railway) by squeezing every penny of value out of every pound invested.

£1.6bn private sector investment

We are working to help make it easier for third parties to work with us and invest in projects on the railway, including improving partner engagement through our specialist business development teams, simplifying standards, publicising investment opportunities and offering projects out to market. We are targeting bringing-in at least £1.6bn of external funding by 2024. This helps our funding go further, injecting essential commercial and private sector expertise into Network Rail and reducing our burden on the public purse.

Learning from lessons library

To help share knowledge across the industry, improve processes, reduce cost and speed-up the delivery of our projects, we’ve opened-up our ‘learning from lessons’ library to the entire industry. The library is an online repository of lessons, pictures, videos and documents from a wide range of projects and major programmes, including those of our delivery partners. It showcases best practice, but also highlights where we could do better so future projects can improve. You will need to register to request access to the learning from lessons library and complete a short training session if you want to upload content.

Case studies

Below are some examples of what we are doing to improve efficiency.

Case studies playlist

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