Rail passengers

As the rail regulator, we have legal duties to contribute to sustainable development, and to consider the railway’s effect on the environment. One of the ways we make sure operators are protecting the environment is through our role in licencing the railway, with a specific environment condition in all railway licences.

New rules will mean that from 2 April the maximum fee that train operators and ticket retailers can charge when an unused rail ticket is refunded will be reduced from £10 to £5.

Third party retailers have responded positively to the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) report published in December 2023, which showed that some retailers were not sufficiently transparent about the additional fees they charged on their websites and apps during the ticket buying process.

The Office of Rail and Road has identified several key areas of focus for the industry as it looks to drive improvement in the delivery of passenger assistance for disabled passengers. The conclusions follow audits commissioned by the regulator into how five operators were meeting regulatory requirements related to the delivery of assistance.