{"id":208592,"date":"2025-05-01T00:47:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=14e0bcc73c33ca42b56d994b474e7ca8"},"modified":"2025-05-01T00:47:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T14:47:23","slug":"office-of-rail-and-road-may-2025-newsletter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=208592","title":{"rendered":"Office of Rail and Road May 2025 newsletter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Office of Rail and Road May 2025 newsletter<\/span>
\n

\n
Twitter<\/a>Linkedin<\/a>email<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Cover Image<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
Image<\/div>\n
\"Business<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
\n
Components<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n

Hello, and welcome to May\u2019s newsletter.<\/h2>\n

We have just published our Business Plan for 2025 to 2026 which I am delighted to share with you.  <\/p>\n

The effect of Government reforms to the Civil Service, regulators and the railway will be a thread running through our work in the coming year, and one that is reflected in all our priorities for the coming year<\/p>\n

We are committed to supporting the Government\u2019s agenda for Civil Service efficiencies and savings through improvements to our own operations. This year we will be focusing on the increased use of technology, including AI, to automate and streamline our processes, reduce bureaucracy and improve response times. This will have positive benefits for both ORR and the industries we work with, increasing our productivity and delivery to all our stakeholders.  <\/p>\n

This business plan also commits us to furthering the Government\u2019s agenda for regulatory reform. We will be engaging with infrastructure managers on how to  reduce the administrative burdens we impose. We will also complete an ongoing review reporting to HM Treasury into how to encourage more private sector investment into the rail network.  <\/p>\n

We will continue our work to support Government on rail reform. We are already working to provide the necessary safety permissions as English passenger train operators move into public ownership. We will be providing advice to Government and working with stakeholders as legislation is developed to set up Great British Railways.<\/p>\n

As well as working through these changes, we will also remain focussed on the day job. Change can be beneficial, but it must not be a distraction. Our essential day job of frontline regulatory activities across the rail and road industries \u2013 from health and safety inspections and new train authorisations to holding companies to account on better customer service \u2013 will continue to be delivered. And we will continue to bring our expertise and independence to bear to achieve this.<\/p>\n

John Larkinson <\/strong>
Chief Executive<\/p>\n

Top stories<\/h2>\n

ORR Business Plan published <\/h3>\n

ORR’s 2025 to 2026 Business Plan, published on Tuesday, focuses on how the regulator will continue to oversee Britain’s rail and road networks through rigorous performance monitoring and stakeholder accountability.  <\/p>\n

Strategic objectives remain focusing on a safer railway, better rail customer service, value for money from the railway and better highways.  <\/p>\n

The plan also emphasises ORR’s role in supporting the Government’s regulatory reform agenda, reducing administrative burdens, and providing necessary guidance as English passenger train operators transition to public ownership under the developing Great British Railways framework.    <\/p>\n

Read the full plan.<\/a><\/p>\n

Changing how we report on punctuality<\/h3>\n

To help track and train to work better together, we\u2019re changing how we assess and report on punctuality for passengers.  <\/p>\n

A year ahead of next year\u2019s official change on 1 April, we\u2019ll be placing greater emphasis in all our activities on the \u2018Time-to-3\u2019 measure which counts what proportion of station stops are made within three minutes of the timetable. Both in assessing Network Rail\u2019s delivery and how we report on performance, this also means we will focus more on the same measure that the Department for Transport uses to hold its operators to account and that is presented at stations.  <\/p>\n

The change will start with our next statistical release, on 29 May, where \u2018On Time\u2019 and \u2018Time-to-3\u2019 measures will be presented alongside each other. \u2018On Time\u2019 remains an important operational measure, however, and results will continue to be available in our data tables.<\/p>\n

Driving economic growth through investment \u2013 reviewing our Investment Framework<\/h3>\n

As part of our work to support the Government’s strategy to boost investment and drive economic growth throughout the UK, we are conducting an in-depth analysis of our Rail Network Investment Framework, working with the industry\u2019s supply chain to promote direct investment in railway infrastructure.  <\/p>\n

We\u2019re inviting the supply chain, private investors and developers to provide us with feedback by 16 May to help us to understand how effective the current framework is, whether there are any barriers to investing and what could be improved to better support investment in railway infrastructure and any other areas to take to consider.  <\/p>\n

Find out more and respond.<\/a><\/p>\n

Rail familiarisation for ORR staff<\/h3>\n

Office-based ORR staff who may not have a railway background, or those who are new to the regulator, are invited to get out and about on the railway on a familiarisation exercise as part of their induction, led by ORR Operations Advisors. The exercises have recently expanded to our Glasgow office, where the extensive rail network around the city is explained. Here Ops Advisor Luke Illingworth points out some of the infrastructure at Newton Station to a recent group.  <\/p>\n

ORR met all our service standards in 2024 to 2025<\/h3>\n

Our service standards for 2025 to 2026 are part of this year\u2019s business plan and we have met all of our service standards for the full year 2024 to 2025<\/a>, and met the Government prompt payments target of 90% paid within 5 days of valid invoice. This was a new and more demanding target for ORR this year, replacing our previous target of 80% of invoices paid within 10 days. <\/p>\n

New ORR job pack launched <\/h3>\n

We have launched a new generic job pack, to accompany job descriptions, for prospective candidates seeking a role with us. The pack focuses on the benefits and culture of working at ORR, to ensure that we continue to attract the best candidates to take our work forward. View our current vacancies<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Blog<\/h2>\n

Protecting passengers stuck on stranded trains<\/h3>\n

Publication date 24 April<\/p>\n

Nick Layt, Senior Manager, Consumer Policy & Compliance, has written a blog<\/a> on the steps being taken following ORR\u2019s and Transport Focus\u2019 jointly commissioned research on how to improve the experience of passengers who are left stranded on trains following a number of high-profile incidents. <\/p>\n

Statistics<\/h3>\n