1.3 The Department's rail priorities are to control costs, live within the funding available and improve railway performancei. These priorities are reflected in the objectives the Department has set for the rail franchising process (see Figure 3).
1.4 In general, these objectives are reflected in the Department's objectives for individual franchises. The Department's 2007-08 Business Plan expanded on these earlier objectives and included delivering the PSA Target to improve rail performance and the punctuality and reliability of rail services. However, the Department's wider objective to improve the environmental performance of transport was not explicitly reflected in any of the objectives for individual franchises. It has nevertheless increasingly been taken into account in franchise awards. There were no explicit environmental
3 | The Department's wider transport and franchising objectives | ||||||||||
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DfT wider transport objectives
| ■ to improve the environmental performance of transport; ■ to enhance access to jobs, services and social networks, including for the most disadvantaged; ■ to sustain economic growth and improved productivity through reliable and efficient transport networks; and ■ to strengthen the safety and security of transport. | ||||||||||
Rail Franchising Objectives (Stakeholder briefing documents and tender invitations) | ■ to maintain high standards of safety; ■ to improve operational performance and sustain a level of service quality consistent with meeting customer needs as they develop; ■ to deliver an efficient service within public expenditure constraints that represents value for money for passengers and taxpayers; and ■ to secure accountable, viable operators who are able to demonstrate a culture of excellence and continuous improvement and a vision for the future direction of the franchise. | ||||||||||
Source: National Audit Office summary | |||||||||||
criteria against which bids were assessed on the South Western franchise awarded in Autumn 2006. But the four franchises (West and East Midlands, New Cross Country and Inter City East Coast) awarded between June and August 2007 all had environmental issues included within the assessment criteria.