Office for Rail and Road

Office of Rail and Road

The Office of Rail and Road is a non-ministerial government department and is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railway

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is responsible for protecting the interests of rail users now and in the future. ORR does this by holding Network Rail (and in future Great British Railways) to account and keeping the railway safe by regulating the rail industry’s health and safety performance. It also holds HighSpeed1 Ltd (HS1) to account and makes sure that the rail industry is competitive and fair.

ORR holds National Highways to account for its performance and efficiency, and it has economic regulatory functions in relation to railways in Northern Ireland and the UK section of the Channel Tunnel.

Keeping Britain’s railway safe

Britain has one of the safest railways in Europe for passengers and workers. With more than 100 HM Railway Inspectors dedicated to keeping every railway safe – from the mainline network, London Underground to light rail, trams, and the heritage sector – ORR works with the rail industry to identify, assess, and manage safety issues.

Inspectors are out on the network every day ensuring all train and freight operating companies and Network Rail manage passenger and workforce health and safety risks appropriately. ORR also offers advice, guidance and conducts research to promote continuous improvement.

ORR’s inspectors carry out investigations into breaches of health and safety law on the railway and take both informal and formal enforcement action, and as a last resort, ORR can prosecute a company for health and safety failings when things go wrong.

Holding Network Rail and HS1 to account

The railway network needs to be run for the benefit of the whole country. ORR oversees Network Rail (and in the future Great British Railways), holding it to account for its performance and service – overseeing whether it is delivering value for money – for passengers, the freight industry, and taxpayers.

As part of this, ORR monitors Network Rail’s train punctuality performance and upkeep of rail assets. ORR is also responsible for determining operator access when disputes arise between Network Rail and operators.

As outlined in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, the role of Network Rail is changing through rail reform. ORR’s role will adapt to reflect these changes and ensure ORR remains a strong independent body overseeing Great British Railways. This is essential to maintaining accountability, transparency, and efficiency across the network.

ORR also holds HS1 to account for the performance of its railway for train services, upkeep of the network and that it meets its efficiency targets. ORR is working with the French rail regulator Autorité de Régulation des Activités Ferroviaires (ARAF) to promote competition, full transparency, and fair access to the Channel Tunnel.

ORR works to ensure that rail markets are competitive and fair – for passengers, freight customers, railway operators and taxpayers. ORR does this by integrating its economic, competition and consumer functions and powers.

ORR and consumers

For consumers, ORR plays a key role in improving the rail passenger experience for which it has regulatory responsibility, taking prompt and effective action to improve the service that passengers receive where it is required.

ORR also sets guidance on the standards train and station operators must meet on assisted travel. They do this through; ensuring train companies provide accurate and timely information, particularly during disruption, handling complaint procedures seamlessly, and monitoring how train and station operators handle these situations.

Independent publication of railway data

As the accredited primary provider of railway industry official statistics, ORR publishes a range of statistics, including railway performance, rail usage (both passenger and freight) and safety. This open data and information about the rail industry promotes transparency and a better understanding of Britain’s railway.

The trustworthiness, quality and value of ORR statistics are overseen by the UK Statistics Authority’s regulatory arm – the Office for Statistics Regulation.

ORR IN BRIEF

ORR regulates Network Rail including setting the targets it must achieve and reporting regularly on its performance. ORR also regulates health and safety standards and compliance across the whole rail industry. It oversees competition and consumer rights issues – driving a better deal for rail passengers and taxpayers. ORR regulates the HighSpeed1 link to the Channel Tunnel. ORR also holds National Highways to account for its performance and efficiency against government set targets.

KEY PERSONNEL Chair: Declan Collier Chief Executive: John Larkinson Director of Economics, Finance and Markets: Will Godfrey Director, Corporate Operations: Vinita Hill HM Chief Inspector of Railways and Director, Railway Safety: Ian Prosser CBE Interim Director of Railway Planning & Performance: Feras Alshaker Director of Strategy, Policy and Reform: Stephanie Tobyn Director of Communications: Russell Grossman

CONTACT INFORMATION Tel: 020 7282 2000 Visit: www.orr.gov.uk Address: 25 Cabot Square London E14 4QZ