Office of Rail and Road
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Contents
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is a safety and economic regulator for the UK's Railway Industry, and monitor of Highways England. It regulates Network Rail's activities and funding requirements, regulates access to the railway network, licenses the operators of railway assets and publishes rail statistics.ref
Functions
As an independent regulator, the ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation, and is accountable through Parliament and the courts.ref
- Network Rail: regulates its activities by setting the targets it has to achieve, and reports regularly on its performance;
- Railway Industry: ensures that railway operators comply with health and safety law;
- Rail Passenger Protection: oversees competition and consumer rights issues, and enforces consumer protection law;
- Regulates the High Speed 1 link to the Channel Tunnel;
- Highways England: monitors the company and holds it to account on its commitments to improve the performance and efficiency of England’s strategic road network – the motorways and main ‘A’ roads.
Independence
All members of the ORR board are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport for a fixed term of up to 5 years. The political colouring of the current Transport Secretary can be expected to influence the choice of board members, and thus its economic tendencies.
Funding
ToDo: AR-2018
Funded by the rail industry through licence fees and safety levies...ref
Also receives funding from Eurotunnel to meet the UK’s share of the expenses of the Intergovernmental Commission and Safety Authority pertaining to the Channel Tunnel.
Also receives a grant from the DfT for funding of their highways monitoring function.
Timeline
- Apr.2015: Office of Rail and Road: the Office of Rail Regulation changed its name,ref following its appointment as Monitor for Highways England. (Infrastructure Act 2015, The Office of Rail Regulation (Change of Name) Regulations 2015)
- Jul.2004: Office of Rail Regulation was established as a non-ministerial govt department, replacing the Rail Regulator. (Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003) The Rail Regulator was the most powerful player in the privatised British railway industry, with a wide jurisdiction — too wide for the liking of many politicians.ref
- Dec.1993: Rail Regulator was a statutory office, created for the independent economic regulation of the British railway industry. (Railways Act 1993, §1)
ToDo †