Rail operators

By Chris Davies, Principal Inspector of Railways.

New Accessible Travel Policy guidance from ORR calls on train companies to cut booking notice times, increase reliability of provision, improve staff training, and offer redress when things go wrong.

Welcome to our July Newsletter.

Making its final annual assessment of Network Rail for Control Period 5 (2014-19), ORR's Network Rail Monitor published today highlights a mixed picture: good performance by the company in managing its infrastructure assets and for the freight sector, but continued underperformance in the key areas of passenger train performance and efficiency.

In its final annual assessment of Network Rail Scotland for Control Period 5 (2014-19), published today, ORR highlights good progress in its delivery of enhancements and freight performance but continued poor passenger train service performance.

Govia Thameslink Railway Ltd (GTR) has today been fined £1 million, with £52,267 costs, after being convicted of one offence under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

Assisted travel reforms include improving the reliability of assistance for passengers, a shorter timeframe for booking assistance, and compensation when things go wrong. ORR recommends that train operators must tell passengers of their right to compensation during a journey and settle claims within 20 days.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today published its Annual Report on Health and Safety which stresses that Britain's railway remains one of the safest railways in Europe for passengers, but warns that the rate of improvement has shown signs of slowing.