Office of Rail Regulation reports on the future role of the Rail Safety and Standards Board

7 February 2005
ORR/03/05

At the request of the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and its rail industry members, the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) has led a review of the role and functions of RSSB. The aim of the review was to ensure that the arrangements put in place in response to Lord Cullen's recommendations in his second report into the Ladbroke Grove accident remained fit for purpose in the light of the current changes in the rail industry environment. 

The review concluded that there remains a need for an industry body to carry out certain safety and standards related functions and that this body should be independent of any individual industry company or grouping.  The review established a number of principles in relation to the functions RSSB should undertake. 

ORR has asked the RSSB Board to review its activities against the principles established by the review and to produce a business plan reflecting them, building on the good progress it has made since it was created in 2003.  ORR has also asked RSSB to review its governance arrangements to ensure they are fit for the purpose of securing that RSSB is an organisation of the industry, but independent of any part of it, and credible with wider stakeholders and the public.

Notes for editors

1. Following the recommendation of Lord Cullen in his second report into the Ladbroke Grove rail accident, RSSB was established in April 2003 with the purpose of leading and facilitating the railway industry's work to achieve continuous improvement in the health and safety performance of the railways.
2. Since RSSB has been established there have been a number of major changes in the rail industry environment, including: establishment of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch; Network Rail replacing Railtrack and taking infrastructure maintenance activity "in-house"; the White Paper ("The Future of Rail") and subsequent legislative proposals; and implementation of the second EU railway package including the Railway Safety Directive.
3. Network Rail and licensed train operators using Network Rail's network are required to be members of RSSB as a condition of their licences enforced by ORR.  Other rail industry companies (e.g. suppliers, other infrastructure managers) may become members of RSSB.  RSSB is a company limited by guarantee owned by its members.  The RSSB constitution agreement, approved by ORR under the provisions of Network Rail and train operator licences, sets out its governance and funding arrangements. 
4. Review of the Rail Safety and Standards Board: Report is available from the ORR website at http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/221.pdf

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