Regulator Profile
ORR
Office of Rail and Road
Enforcement Regulator4
Areas of regulation
16
Laws enforced
Great Britain
Quick links
Access Rights
Consumer Protection
Economic Regulation
Rail Safety
What ORR does
Independent safety and economic regulator for Britain's railways. Regulates health and safety for the mainline rail network, London Underground, light rail, trams, and heritage railways. Also monitors National Highways' performance and efficiency. Competition authority for railways and enforces consumer protection law for rail passengers.
Additional information
Key functions: rail safety regulation, track access, passenger rights. Role changing with Railways Bill 2025 and Great British Railways creation.
Legal framework
Legislation that ORR enforces.
Primary legislation
- Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 Act 1974
- UKPGA 1993/43 Act 1993
- UKPGA 2000/38 Act 2000
- Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 Act 2003
- Railways Act 2005 Act 2005
- Infrastructure Act 2015 Act 2015
Secondary legislation
- Railway Safety (Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 1997 UK Statutory Instrument 1997
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 UK Statutory Instrument 1999
- Railway (Licensing of Railway Undertakings) Regulations 2005 UK Statutory Instrument 2005
- Directive 2004/49/EC (Railway Safety Directive) as implemented UK Statutory Instrument 2006
- Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment Regulations 2009 UK Statutory Instrument 2009
- Rail Passengers' Rights and Obligations Regulations 2010 UK Statutory Instrument 2010
- Train Driving Licences and Certificates Regulations 2010 UK Statutory Instrument 2010
- Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 UK Statutory Instrument 2011
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/1471) UK Statutory Instrument 2013
- UKSI 2016/645 UK Statutory Instrument 2016
Sectors regulated
Railways