Office of Rail Regulation - Primary Functions

Primary Functions

The ORR's main functions are:

  • Regulation of Network Rail's stewardship of Britain's rail infrastructure.
  • Reviewing and revising the financial framework for the railway industry through periodic access charges reviews in which the structure and level of the allowed revenues of Network Rail are set.
  • Granting, modifying, compliance monitoring and enforcement of licences held by operators of railway assets.
  • Controlling the fair and efficient allocation of capacity of railway assets through the approval or direction of contracts for the use of track, stations, and light maintenance depots.
  • Acting as the appellate authority for certain classes of appeal of a regulatory or legal nature arising under the industry-wide network code.
  • Enforcement of railway competition law.
  • Independent health and safety regulation for the railway industry as parent body (since 2006) of HM Railway Inspectorate and for Personal Track Safety.
  • Approval of changes made to the National Routeing Guide and National Rail Conditions of Carriage.

ORR produces what is known as "the Blue Book", officially titled Railway Safety Principles and Guidance, to ensure those operating the rail network, or designing products related to it, comply with health and safety law.

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