Implementing The Future of Rail: ORR’s role and proposed work programme

22 September 2004
ORR/39/04

The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has today published a consultation document, Implementing The Future of Rail: ORR’s Role and Proposed Work Programme. The Government’s White Paper, The Future of Rail, has significant implications for ORR’s role, organisation and work programme, and the purpose of the consultation paper is to give the rail industry, rail users, taxpayers and the Government the opportunity to comment on, and help shape, ORR’s future programme as it develops in the light of the White Paper.

Chris Bolt, ORR’s Chairman, said:

“The Government has repeatedly stated the importance of effective independent regulation of the rail industry. We recognise the central role that ORR needs to play both in implementing the Government’s new rail strategy and ensuring that the railway delivers value for money, for both users and taxpayers. This consultation sets out how we see ORR’s role and priorities developing following the Rail Review. It is essential that the regulatory framework continues to give clear and effective incentives to companies operating in the new structure to deliver a better railway – in terms of safety, performance and cost.”                                                                                                                              

The consultation primarily concentrates on those initiatives in the White Paper that do not require legislation. The main areas covered are:

  • outline proposals to strengthen Network Rail’s network licence to ensure it performs its expanded role effectively;
  • confirmation that the proposed interim reviews of the structure of Network Rail’s costs and charges, of the performance and possessions regimes, and of Network Rail’s signalling costs will proceed as planned;
  • proposals for the second stage of reform of the Network Code; and
  • initial ORR views on its proposed new role in coordinating industry data.

The proposed work programme builds on the business plan published by ORR in May 2004. The approach ORR has taken in developing the proposals in this consultation is that the industry should generally take the lead in developing solutions to the issues that the White Paper identifies. ORR’s role is to ensure decisions are made on robust information properly analysed, give support, provide effective monitoring and, where necessary, take enforcement action, on the basis of its statutory functions and duties.

Notes for editors

1. The White Paper The Future of Rail was published by the Department for Transport in July 2004.
2. The consultation period on Implementing The Future of Rail: ORR’s Role and Proposed Work Programme closes on 05 November 2004.
3.  Implementing The Future of Rail: ORR’s Role and Proposed Work Programme is available from the ORR website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/211.pdf and also available from the ORR Librarian, Sue MacSwan, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138–142 Holborn, London EC1N 2TQ, tel: 020 7282 2001, fax: 020 7282 2045, e-mail: rail.library@orr.gsi.gov.uk.

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