Network Rail Control Periods are the 5-year timespans into which Network Rail, the owner and operator of most of the rail infrastructure in Great Britain, works for financial and other planning purposes. Each Control Period begins on 1 April and ends on 31 March to coincide with the financial year. These periods were inherited from Railtrack, so that the earlier ones are retrospective, and not necessarily of 5 years duration. As Network Rail is responsible for developing and maintaining railway infrastructure, the Control Periods are used to decide priorities for investment. Infrastructure developments have taken place or are planned as follows:
Control Period 1 (CP1): 1996–2001
Control Period 2 (CP2): 2001–2004
Control Period 3 (CP3): 2004–2009
CP3 included the following work:
Additional express services from Edinburgh to Aberdeen
Reading, Ascot to Waterloo 10-car platform lengthening.
The Streatham Resignalling Project
The Sutton-Wimbledon Project
CP5 is running over budget and some projects are to be delayed. In July 2015, Sir Peter Hendy was appointed Chairman of Network Rail "and asked by the Secretary of State to conduct a thorough review of the enhancement programme in England & Wales to see what can be delivered in an affordable and timely way within the funding period to 2019".. Additionally, Dame Colette Bowe will investigate how future investment programmes could be implemented better.
Control Period 6 (CP6): 2019–2024
In July 2017, the Department for Transport published the "high level output specification" for Control Period 6. In October 2017, a Statement of Funds Available report was published which announced that £48 billion would be allocated for CP6. In October 2018, the Office of Rail Regulation approved of the spending plans which include spending £7.7bn on spending of maintaining the existing railway and £16.6bn for renewing the railways. In February 2018, Network Rail announced its strategic business plan for CP6; the plan will prioritize performance and reliability improvements over major new schemes. In February 2019, Network Rail approved of its spending plan and had no objections to the ORR’s decision on spending. It would publish its spending plan at the end of March 2019.
Control Period 7 (CP7): 2024–2029
No plans for the Control Period 7 have yet been made.
Control Period 8 (CP8): 2029–2034
No plans for the Control Period 8 have yet been made.
