Office of Rail & Road news – Page 3
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Rail Business UKRail regulator calls for passenger-friendly approach to short-notice train cancellations
UK: Train operators need to introduce a more passenger-friendly and transparent ways of working when making late changes to services, according to industry regulator the Office of Rail & Road. Currently ‘pre-cancellations’ made via a process known as ‘p-coding’ can be confirmed up to 22.00 the ...
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Rail Business UKScottish HLOS and SoFA submitted to ORR
UK: The Scottish government’s High-Level Output Specification and Statement of Funds Available for Control Period 7 was submitted to the Office of Rail & Road on January 27. Initial publication of the HLOS and SoFA for the period from April 1 2024 to March 31 2029 ...
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Rail Business UKAvanti West Coast required to produce improved timetable recovery plan
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has told Avanti West Coast to submit an improved timetable production recovery plan by February 2. The regulator said Avanti had initially made reasonable progress against its September 2022 recovery plan, but the position had deteriorated in 2023 with ...
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Rail Business UKTrain driver sentenced for Bromsgrove collision
UK: A train driver who was distracted by a using mobile phone leading to a collision between a DB Cargo locomotive and a passenger train has been sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. He must also undertake 120 h of unpaid work and ...
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Rail Business UKCompetition concerns over Hitachi’s planned acquisition of Thales signalling business
UK: The Competition & Markets Authority has expressed concern that Hitachi Rail’s planned acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Business could eliminate a credible competitor for the supply of signalling systems, at a time when efforts are being made to increase competition in the UK market. Hitachi ...
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Rail Business UKModernisation and efficiency improvements included in High Level Output Specification
UK: There is ‘an urgent need for continued modernisation and significant efficiency improvements to bear down on the cost of the railway’, according to the High Level Output Specification which sets out what the Secretary of State wants to be achieved from the management of rail ...
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Rail Business UKGrand Union’s Carmarthen to London service approved
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has approved Grand Union Trains’ plans to launch an open access passenger service between London and southwest Wales using bi-mode trains with a high-quality interior including 2+1 seating in standard class. On December 1 ORR announced that it had ...
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Rail Business UKRail industry finances showed signs of recovery in 2021-22
UK: The rail industry’s finances showed signs of recovery from the effects of the pandemic in the last financial year but passenger revenue remained well below pre-pandemic levels, according to the latest statistical report from the Office of Rail & Road. The Rail Industry Finance report ...
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Rail Business UKPassenger numbers at UK’s busiest station still less than half of pre-pandemic levels
UK: London Waterloo has regained its status as the most used National Rail station according to estimates for the 2020-21 financial year, although usage was less than half that recorded in the last year before the coronavirus pandemic. The Office of Rail & Road’s estimates for ...
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Rail Business UKRail pay and conditions are favourable against market comparators, study finds
UK: Pay and conditions in the rail industry are typically favourable when compared to market comparators, owing to working hours, defined benefit pension options and high levels of trade union membership, according to a report published by the Office of Rail & Road. ORR commissioned the ...
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Rail Business UKORR finds Network Rail exceeded planned efficiency improvements
UK: Network Rail achieved £840m of efficiency improvements in 2021-22, ahead of the £830m target for the year, according to an annual assessment of its efficiency and wider financial performance published by the Office of Rail & Road. The infrastructure manager has delivered £1·9bn of efficiency ...
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Rail Business UKRegulator asks for views on next periodic review of HS1 Ltd
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has launched a consultation asking stakeholders to provide views on the processes and approach to the next periodic review of high speed line concessionaire HS1 Ltd. ORR is required by law to approve HS1 Ltd’s plans and charges for ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail maintains good stakeholder engagement, ORR finds
UK: The Office of Rail & Road says its annual assessment of how Network Rail engages with its stakeholders shows a strong performance in the past year, although overall satisfaction has dipped slightly. ORR assessed how well Network Rail performed against four principles of good stakeholder ...
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Rail Business UKNetwork Rail needs to change depot plant asset management
UK: Consultancy Frazer-Nash has undertaken a review of Network Rail’s depot plant asset management systems on behalf of the the Office of Rail & Road, looking at whether effective systems are in place to ensure that depot plant is maintained, renewed and upgraded. Frazer-Nash concluded that ...
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Rail Business UKHS2 infrastructure manager will be able to levy Investment Recovery Charge
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has ruled that the future infrastructure manager for the London to West Midlands Phase One of High Speed 2 will be able to levy an Investment Recovery Charge on future operators using the line. An IRC is an exceptional ...
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Rail Business UKHigh Speed 1 renewals concerns raised
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has expressed concern over how high speed rail infrastructure concessionaire HS1 Ltd is managing asset renewals. ORR’s annual operational and financial performance assessment of HS1 Ltd for the year to March 31 2022 found a good safety record and ...
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Rail Business UKORR publishes documents on future rail regulation
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has published three documents relating to the 2023 periodic review which will determine Network Rail’s outputs and funding for Control Period 7 (2024-29) and will in the future apply to Great British Railways, along with its response to the ...
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Rail Business UKORR seeks feedback on Investment Framework update
UK: The Office of Rail & Road is seeking feedback on its plans to modernise and simplify its Investment Framework. Originally published in 2006 and last updated in 2010, the Investment Framework contains ORR’s policy and guidelines and sets out the legislation and processes for anyone ...
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Rail Business UKORR launches RM3 health and safety learning platform
UK: The Office of Rail & Road has launched an online learning platform to assist health and safety professionals in gaining a further understanding of how to use the rail industry’s Risk Management Maturity Model. The e-learning platform designed by Premier IT went live on June ...
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Rail Business UKCompensation after FirstGroup delay repay problems
UK: FirstGroup is to compensate passengers who were affected by an IT error which wrongly rejected claims for train delay repay compensation. When a passenger submits a delay repay claim to the wrong train company, the claim should be redirected to the appropriate operator for processing. ...