Network Rail is a UK-wide public sector company responsible to the UK Government, via the Office for Rail and Road, for the safety of the rail infrastructure across the UK. Rail infrastructure, as with ports and airports, is reserved to the UK Government as a matter of national security.
How we’re funded
Network rail is largely funded by a direct grant from the UK Government. In 2020/2021, the grant was £17.6 billion. By 2022/2023, despite the Stonehaven deaths due to a maintenance failure, it had been slashed to £11 billion.
The Scottish Government makes a small contribution to the Network Rail budget. In 2022/2023, it was £179 million, 1.6% of the total. The Herald, above, has based its scare story on supposed cuts to this, based on a trade union statement, ignoring the far larger UK Government cuts.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
What an appalling propaganda sheet The Herald has become ! Legends like the great Ian Bell must be birlin’ in their graves .
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Prior to Covid Network Rail income came from an annual Direct Grant from the UK Gov usually around £4 billion pa, borrowing, income from train operators for access to railway tracks and income from commercial activities eg shops in stations. In total almost £7 billion
When Covid struck passenger numbers fell off a cliff and the UKGov introduced Emergency Recovery Measure Agreements which saw the UK Gov funding to the Railways – operators & NR increase in ’20-’21 to £17.6 billion.
As passenger numbers increased this was reduced to £13.3 billion the following year of which £6.5 billion went to Network Rail. This is the relevant section from the Financial statement for ’21-’22 which shows the funding split between operators and Network Rail
“”In the latest year (April 2021 to March 2022), governments contributed £13.3 billion to the day-to-day operations of the railway in the UK, a decrease of £4.3 billion (24.4%) from the previous year of £17.6 billion. Government support, however, continues to be higher compared to the £6.8 billion provided two years ago (April 2019 to March 2020).
Of the £13.3 billion of government funding, Network Rail received £6.5 billion of funding support in the latest year. This was a 5.7% decrease on the previous year. Franchised train operators received £6.7 billion, a 36.7% decrease, while Core Valley Lines received £0.04 billion in funding support, a 21.9% increase.
The overall decrease in funding by governments in the latest year is closely related to the increase in passenger operator income, which increased by 152.1% from £2.6 billion to £6.5 billion.””
Funding has been decreasing year on year since the emergency funding measures were introduced to deal with Covid but it seems that Network Rail’s funding has remained more or less steady and not been subject to apocalyptic ‘slashing’.
You will find the latest statistical release on rail finances here & links within the page will take you to archived material
https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/finance/rail-industry-finance/
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Martin Williams articles should come with free Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses…
No turn is left unstoned as Martin tries desperately to create linkage between budgetary decisions by SG in 2023 and the fatal derailment 3 years earlier, despite the “rail enhancement grant” from SG having SFA to do with maintenance by Network Rail.
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We can have a word with him once Scottish independence arrives and review his status
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You’re confusing (likely deliberately) Network Rail’s total budget and the budget for maintenance.
The maintenance budget of Network Rail in 20/21 was £1.89bn, increasing to £2.09bn in 22/23.
It’s a bit rich to claim other publications are misleading when this blog frequently peddled misinformation like this.
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Perhaps you are overthinking it. Overall budget takes into account what has been allocated by Network Rail for maintenance. If they did not budget for maintenance of the tracks which failed and failed to act on reports received it is their responsibility and ultimately the UK government who have reserved power over the rail network. Seems perfectly reasonable and justified in re-directing blame to the party with ultimate responsibility
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Which would of course be the Scottish Government?
The 2005 Railways Act specified that funding and targeting of network rail track maintenance and investment is the responsibility of the Scottish Government.
The Herald article is correct, this article is wrong both on the claim that budget has been cut by 40% and the criticism of the Herald for laying blame on Scot Gov.
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This blog does not peddle misinformation quite the opposite…why are you following this blog? We see you.
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