Newsletters

Office of Rail and Road November 2025 newsletter

31 October 2025
Elizabeth Thornhill
Elizabeth Thornhill
General Counsel
Temple Mills International depot

November Newsletter

Heading up ORR’s legal team, my role is varied, and over the last month has included work on two very different areas. Yesterday we announced the approval of Virgin Trains’ application for access to Temple Mills International depot, marking an important milestone in expanding competition on the London St Pancras High Speed line. In reaching this decision, we carefully weighed our legal duties and considered extensive stakeholder feedback alongside independent analysis of Eurostar’s future plans and competing applications from Evolyn, Gemini and Trenitalia. Our legal assessment concluded that Virgin Trains’ application demonstrated the strongest prospects of making the best use of capacity at Temple Mills, with more financially and operationally robust plans, clear evidence of investor backing, and an agreement in principle for appropriate rolling stock.

Whilst this decision concerns access to Temple Mills Depot and doesn't prescribe specific services or stations, it unlocks around £700mn of planned investment and paves the way for increased passenger choice. Many stakeholders welcomed the prospect of competition, particularly as a potential vehicle for reintroducing services at Ashford and Ebbsfleet stations at some point in the future. Important steps remain before services can run—Virgin Trains must secure a commercial agreement with Eurostar as the depot operator, plus finance, track and station access, and safety approvals from ourselves and relevant EU authorities. We stand ready to work with them as their plans develop towards their target launch date of 2030. The decision letter, published on Thursday 30 October, sets out our full legal reasoning.

Also in October, we concluded a prosecution against Great Western Railway (GWR), which has been fined £1 million and ordered to pay over £78,000 in costs following a tragic, preventable fatality in 2018. Our investigation found that GWR failed to act on known risks associated with droplight windows, despite previous incidents and clear safety recommendations. Bethan Roper's death, caused by a head injury sustained while leaning from a moving train, should never have happened. While we acknowledge the actions taken by GWR and the wider industry since then to eliminate this risk, this case is a stark reminder of the importance of proactive risk management. Safety must always be the rail industry's top priority.

Alongside our ongoing business-as-usual activities, we welcome the Business Secretary’s announcement of a review into ORR’s functions. This is a valuable opportunity to ensure our regulatory approach remains proportionate, adaptable, and aligned with the evolving needs of the industry.

Elizabeth Thornhill
General Counsel

Top Stories

Stranded trains seminar

In October, we brought together colleagues from across the rail industry to focus on improving how we respond when trains become stranded. At the heart of this work are passengers - making sure they feel safe, informed and supported, whether they remain on board or continue their journey another way. The seminar, delivered with the Rail Delivery Group, built on the steps we’ve taken since the high-profile incidents in late 2023 and the recommendations in our joint Office of Rail and Road - Transport Focus report. We’ve seen real progress since our January event and April letter - from Network Rail and train operators working together on local plans, to more consistent leadership and better use of data. With more than 100 delegates representing operators, Network Rail, DfTO, BTP, and others, there’s clear commitment to putting passengers first when disruption happens.

Accessible travel redress rules are being tightened

We have made it mandatory for all rail operators to assess redress claims from passengers whose booked assistance failed on a case-by-case basis, as detailed in an update to our Accessible Travel Policy Guidance. The change follows a consultation prompted by concerns that some operators' policies could appear to restrict compensation to the ticket price, and we will shortly be requesting relevant train companies make necessary amendments. We are committed to carrying out further work on wider issues raised during consultation, including guidance to support decision-making on redress and how claims are managed, with an update to be published in spring 2026.

New streamlined guidance for third party rail investment

We have published new streamlined guidance to make it easier for third parties to invest in rail infrastructure and support economic growth. Our 'Investment Pathway' guidance provides clearer help for investors navigating the regulatory framework and explains their obligations and opportunities. This reflects the feedback from rail investors who requested simpler guidance. As part of our Rail Network Investment Framework review, requested by HM Treasury, we have also identified opportunities to reform the Industry Risk Fee and Network Rail Fee Fund to ensure charges reflect up to date data on risk, subject to consultation.

Beaulieu Park station authorised and open

We have authorised the new Beaulieu Park railway station which opened on Sunday 26 October, marking the first new station on the Great Eastern Main Line in over a century. Developed by Essex County Council and Chelmsford City Council, delivered by Network Rail and operated by Greater Anglia, the station will serve growing neighbourhoods north-east of Chelmsford with 40-minute journeys to London Liverpool Street. Our authorisation confirms the three-platform station meets required standards for health and safety, accessibility, environmental protection and reliability, following close collaboration with Network Rail, Essex County Council and the project team throughout the process.

Highways UK 2025

At Highways UK 2025, ORR took part in a number of discussions:

  • Chief Executive, John Larkinson, featured on the opening panel on how investment in the road network drives economic growth.
  • Director for Performance and Planning, Feras Alshaker, reflected on the successes and challenges for the strategic road network in the decade since roads reform.
  • Deputy Director for the strategic road network, Rachel Gittens, joined a Women in Transport panel, and discussed how inclusive leadership can improve decision making.

Blogs

Safety performance on the strategic road network

In her blog, ORR’s Highways Safety Advisor, Prentiss Clarke-Jones, looks at how we hold National Highways to account for its performance against government-set targets. This includes its RIS2 safety target to reduce people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on the strategic road network by 50% by the end of 2025 compared to a 2005-2009 baseline. With KSI casualties increasing by 23 (1%) in 2024 compared to 2023, it is now almost certain the target will not be met, though we continue to hold National Highways to account for delivering its safety improvement plans and will provide a detailed assessment in our next annual safety report due by March 2026, including updates on smart motorway safety systems and the company's action plan to reduce live lane stops.

Statistics

In October we have published the following statistics: