ORR's aim and objectives

ORR’s current aim and objectives have been developed in full consultation with external stakeholders. They are set out below and can also be found in ORR’s Corporate Strategy 2006-09 and Business Plan 2006-07, which was published in April 2006. ORR's Business Plan 2007-08 was published on 30 March 2007.

Aim

To apply independent, fair and effective regulation to enable the railway to be safe, well maintained and efficient and to ensure that it provides value for money for users and for its funders.

Objectives

Improving health and safety performance

To maintain and develop effective health and safety regulation of the railway following the transfer of responsibility from HSC/E to ORR.

Securing improved efficiency and performance

To monitor Network Rail’s performance in the delivery of a safe, sustainable and efficient network with improving performance and to intervene where required taking enforcement action which is focused, timely, proportionate and effective.

To provide, through the effective discharge of our licence functions, an efficient and flexible mechanism to protect the interests of railway users by ensuring that appropriate common industry agreements and standards are entered into and maintained.

Securing robust plans for 2009 and beyond

To carry out a periodic review of Network Rail’s track access charges, reaching a determination which achieves an optimal and fair outcome from a whole industry perspective, ensuring that Network Rail receives the right financial incentives for it to deliver on its obligations to customers and funders.

Improving and aligning relationships and its incentives in the industry

To facilitate industry relationships through the effective use of incentives, markets and contracts and to align the delivery of rail services with the public interest through rail operators and Network Rail working in partnership.

To exercise our competition powers so that rail users benefit from competition in the rail industry and rail markets work effectively.

To inform and influence the effective development and application of EU rail policy.

To engage actively with the Government, Network Rail and other stakeholders to support effective franchising through the alignment of Network Rail’s development of RUSs, the Government’s future franchising programme and the consideration of track access agreements.

Establishing ORR as a combined safety and economic regulator

To provide effective governance and corporate support services enabling ORR to achieve its objectives.