Office of Rail and Road

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent safety and economic regulator for Britain’s railways and monitor of National Highways. It is responsible for ensuring that railway operators comply with health and safety law. It regulates Network Rail’s activities and funding requirements, regulates access to the railway network, licenses the operators of railway assets and publishes rail statistics. ORR is also the competition authority for the railways and enforces consumer protection law in relation to the railway. As highways monitor ORR is responsible for monitoring National Highways’ management of the strategic road network – the motorways and main ‘A’ roads in England.

ORR is a non-ministerial department.