Rail and road users across Britain will continue to see positive impacts from the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) planned work as set out in its Business Plan for 2026–27. And while the regulator prepares to transform for the transition to Great British Railways (GBR), the Plan makes clear that ORR will continue to maintain its full range of day to day responsibilities.
These include enforcing safety standards, holding Network Rail to account on performance, and ensuring disabled passengers receive the assistance they are entitled to across the country.
Protecting passengers who require assistance when travelling is a clear priority. ORR’s benchmarking framework allows it to directly compare how well operators provide assistance to passengers who need help boarding or leaving trains. This work has already seen SWR and WMT develop improvement plans, and reinforced the case for ORR’s earlier intervention with Northern Trains.
ORR will also continue to support operators trialling technology to replace phone-based handovers between stations with electronic systems, which has the potential to improve the accuracy and reliability of assistance for disabled travellers.
Safety on the railway remains a firm priority and ORR has recruited ten new inspectors to strengthen frontline oversight. Work will meanwhile continue to tackle violence against rail staff, manage risks at level crossings, and address fatigue and overspeeding risks.
As National Highways enters its third road investment strategy, where it will have £27 billion in funding, ORR will hold the company to account to deliver its commitments efficiently and effectively.
The Plan also reflects a priority to reduce the burden of regulation on those it regulates. ORR is working to cut administrative costs for businesses by the end of this Parliament, supporting the government’s Plan for Change mission to kickstart economic growth.
Feras Alshaker will take over as interim chief executive from John Larkinson on 27 April 2026, providing continuity of leadership as ORR navigates this period of significant change.
Image credit: iStockphoto.com
