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About us

Network Rail owns, operates and develops Britain’s railway infrastructure  

That’s 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We manage 20 of the UK’s largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are managed by the country’s train operating companies.

Our Vision – Putting passengers first

We’re becoming a company that is on the side of passengers and freight users; that is easy to engage with and is an efficient and dependable partner; a company people are proud to work for; instinctively recognised as an industry leader.

Our Purpose

We exist to get people and goods where they need to be and to support our country’s economic prosperity.

Our Role

Running a safe, reliable and efficient railway, serving customers and communities.

Putting passengers first

Network Rail is changing how it operates. We’re pushing devolution further, making routes more responsive to local needs and cutting through red tape and bureaucracy.  Our new structure enables us to be more responsive to the needs of train operators, passengers and freight users by bringing our people closer to those we serve.

We’ve created 14 routes which are supported by five Network Rail regions, each led by a managing director. The five Network Rail regions are EasternNorth West & CentralScotland’s RailwaySouthern and Wales & Western. These five regions were formed in June 2019 and have the budget and capability to take on more responsibility from other parts of the business.

The routes are responsible for operations, maintenance and minor renewals, including the day-to-day delivery of train performance and the relationship with their local train operating companies.

Our routes and regions

We are customer focused. We run the company through devolved route businesses that understand how to meet customer needs. They operate, maintain and renew infrastructure to deliver a safe and reliable railway for passengers and freight customers. Our regions encompass multiple routes and transport hubs to better align operations with passengers’ and communities’ needs.

Each route is a large, complex business in its own right, run by a managing director and a senior leadership team who are accountable for effectively and efficiently delivering for customers and key stakeholders. These outcomes are made visible through route and customer scorecards.

Click on the map for more information about each region and its routes

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