Office of Rail and Road (ORR)

Who we are

As an independent regulator, ORR operates within the framework set by UK and EU legislation and is accountable through Parliament and the courts. We are an independent statutory body, with powers vested by Parliament in our board. The ORR board consists of ten members: six non-executives (including a non-executive chair) and three executive directors. All members of the board are appointed by the Secretary of State for Transport, for a fixed term of up to five years.

ORR is a non-ministerial government department with around 280 staff and a budget of about £30m each year. We are funded by the rail industry for our Rail Regulation role and our Highways Monitor function is funded by the Department for Transport. Our staff work from six offices across Britain, giving us the flexibility and coverage we need to perform our functions efficiently. Many of our people work away from the office, for example by conducting on-site inspections across the rail network.

What we do

We regulate the rail industry's health and safety performance, we hold Network Rail and High Speed 1 (HS1) to account and we make sure that the rail industry is competitive and fair. From 1 April 2015 we are also the independent monitor of Highways England.

• 06/07 ORR Annual Assessment: Network Rail has good start but concerns remain
• 17/05 France and Britain publish opinions on 2019 Statement of Eurotunnel
• 05/04 Rail Regulator publishes principles for driver controlled operation
• 27/02 French and British rail regulatory bodies publish opinions on the 2018 Network Statement of Eurotunnel
• 08/11 ORR appoints new Director, Railway Planning and Performance
• 05/10 Positive steps towards a more consumer-focused rail retail industry
• 10/12 Rail and road users at heart of ORR’s approach to enforcement
• 02/12 ORR and Network Rail agree new £4.1m ‘Rail Reparation Fund’ to directly benefit passengers
• 26/10 Regulator issues new industry guidance on handling passenger complaints
• 19/10 Network Rail is taking immediate action to improve planning and delivery of rail enhancements