What does the Office of Rail Regulation do?

Our key roles are:

• to ensure that Network Rail, the owner and operator of the national railway infrastructure - the track and signalling - manages the network efficiently and in a way that meets the needs of its users;
• to encourage continuous improvement in health and safety performance;
• to secure compliance with relevant health and safety law, including taking enforcement action as necessary;
• to develop policy and enhance relevant railway health and safety legislation; and
• we are also responsible for licensing operators of railway assets, setting the terms for access by operators to the network and other railway facilities, and enforcing competition law in the rail sector.