ORR is responsible for holding Network Rail to account against the conditions in its licence, which includes the requirement to produce the timetable.
ORR monitors industry compliance with timetable production timescales by gathering data from Network Rail and train operators on key milestones in the Network Code.
Meeting timetable production milestones allows robust timetables to be produced on time, providing certainty to passengers and freight. Monitoring any significant changes in train operator variation requests indicates the stability of the timetable as it approaches publication.
Changes close to or later than 12 weeks prior to the timetable coming into operation are of particular interest because operators have a commitment to open advance booking for passengers at the 12 week point.
For details of how the rail industry produces timetables, please see our report on the timetable development process.
Rail industry compliance with timetable production milestones
This report uses management information data on Network Rail and operators' compliance with timetable production outputs. The data is monitored and analysed during the industry process of producing a timetable for passenger and freight operators.
Key messages, data tables and charts will be made available here after the main two timetable changes in May and December each year.
If you have any questions or feedback, please contact stationsanddepots@orr.gov.uk
View the dashboard, hosted in Power BI:
Latest findings
Our report published on 27 February 2026 found:
Overall compliance
- The rail industry returned to full compliance with Network Code milestones in December 2024, following ORR requirements.
- Each subsequent timetable (May 2025, December 2025 and May 2026) has seen operators generally meet the required timescales, although a small number of operators continue to miss the initial bid deadline (D-40).
December 2025
- Network Rail issued all draft timetables on time (D-26).
- Revised access proposals dropped compared with May 2025 (292 vs. 436).
- Freight operators’ submissions accounted for 90.8% of revised access proposals.
- Eight operators indicated their intention to appeal, and all eight subsequently submitted appeals to the Access Disputes Committee.
December 2025 TOVRs (Train Operator Variation Requests)
- The number of freight TOVRs decreased sharply between June 2024 and May 2025, before rising to 777 in total for December 2025. This is well below the high recorded in June 2024, which was 1675.
- Freight operator TOVRs accounted for the majority of TOVRs across three of the last four timetable changes, including December 2025.
- Freight operators’ timeliness of submissions has increased as an absolute number as well as a proportion, accounting for 516 (66%) in December 2025
- Passenger operators’ timeliness of submissions has declined, with 241 (72%) submitted within 12 weeks of the timetable change in December 2025.
May 2026 forward-view
- All operators bar one met the 8 August 2025 (D-40) deadline for bids.
- Revised access proposals fell sharply to 66—significantly lower than previous timetable changes.
- Freight operators’ share of revised access proposals fell from around 90% in earlier timetables to 48.5% for May 2026.
- The number of operators indicating intention to appeal decreased to five.