ORR's business plan for 2014–15 describes a number of actions from ORR's 2014–15 work programmes which ORR believes will contribute to the achievement of its overarching strategic objectives. Some of these short-term actions are summarised below beneath the corresponding ORR objective.
ORR's Strategic Objectives
Drive for a safer railway – 2014–15 actions:
- Target at least half of ORR's front-line activity on proactive inspection.
- Implement a five year programme of interventions to validate London Underground's safety management system.
- Develop safety policy by revising the Railway Safety Regulations and construction design and management regulations. Implement the Law Commission level crossing report and promote awareness of European Common Safety Methods.
Support a better service for customers – 2014–15 actions:
- Develop the passenger role in network enhancements, including by obtaining passenger views on scheme outputs, benefits and trade-offs.
- Investigate complaints which fall under ORR's consumer and competition powers.
- Publish a statement on ORR's approach to approving, monitoring and enforcement of train and station operators' obligations to establish and comply with a disabled people's protection policy.
- Publish a statement on ORR's approach to the approval, monitoring and enforcement of train and station operator obligations to establish and comply with complaints handling procedures and publish updated guidance on complaints handling procedures.
- Review next steps on the 'code of practice for passenger information' licence condition.
Secure value for money from the railway – 2014–15 actions:
- Monitor NR's financial performance and publish the annual report on NR's finance and efficiency.
- Complete the Periodic Review and publish the annual assessment of HS1.
- Publish, in collaboration with industry, a report on GB rail financial data.
Promote an increasingly dynamic and commercially sustainable sector – 2014–15 actions:
- Apply ORR competition powers to enhance the benefits that competition may bring to different rail industry markets and supply chains.
- Review orders put in place by the Competition Commission for the rolling stock market.
- Work with NR to improve data and modelling to forecast capacity use more accurately.
- Promote alignment of EU rail policies with UK objectives and encourage open markets, competition and interoperability across the continent.
Be a high-performing regulator – 2014–15 actions:
- Reduce ORR's annual overhead costs in order to deliver a 2.6 per cent real terms reduction in our maximum statutory charges to industry.
- Commission and publish an independent review of ORR's handling of PR13.
The author Mark Thompson advises rail industry clients on a wide range of contractual and regulatory issues working with Brioney Thomas.