ORR consults on approach to enforcing delivery
17 November 2005
ORR/42/05
The Office of Rail Regulation has today launched a consultation on its policy in enforcing licences and imposing financial penalties. The policy describes how ORR, as economic regulator of the rail industry, will ensure that Network Rail, train operators and others comply with the public interest obligations in their operating licences, and the approach ORR will adopt to imposing financial penalties for failure to deliver. It follows on from ORR’s consultation last month on its health and safety enforcement policy.
Chris Bolt, Chairman of ORR, said:
“ORR’s approach is one of firm but fair enforcement. Effective enforcement helps to ensure that the railway delivers good performance and improved value for money and so gives users of the railway, and funders, the assurance that their interests are being protected.”
Notes for editors
- ORR’s “Enforcement policy and penalties statement – draft for consultation” is published today. Responses to the consultation are requested by 9 February 2006.
- ORR’s enforcement powers as economic regulator of the rail industry lie in the Railways Act 1993 (as amended) and in the Competition Act 1998.
- ORR is required to produce and consult on its penalties statement under section 57B of the Railways Act 1993. The statement has been produced following the coming into force of The Railways Act 1993 (Determination of Turnover) Order 2005, SI 2005/2185.
- ORR’s approach to enforcement of competition law is described in its recently updated guideline (Related links).
- ORR is also consulting separately on the health and safety enforcement policy it proposes to adopt following the merger of safety and economic regulation. It is available from the ORR website together with the letter from ORR to consultees (Related links)
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