SIGNAL FAILURES
Private parts
THE Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has identified “barriers” to private investment in rail infrastructure but glossed over the industry’s stifling bureaucracy – which includes the very same ORR.
The Treasury wants more private funding for infrastructure generally and asked ORR to review the rail system. Third parties, including local councils, already have an ORR “framework” for funding or part-funding rail infrastructure, but they told ORR there was “uncertainty around planning, approvals and interfaces with key delivery partners”, no clear policy direction and no “pipeline” of future projects.