Rail and Road Pod

In this podcast Jacqui Russell, the head of our Consumer team, and Matt Westlake, who leads on accessibility matters, will both provide an insight into the recent work of their team who review the many aspects of the rail passenger experience. They also look ahead to a busy 2024. And Dr Ralitsa Hiteva talks about the value of her involvement with ORR's Consumer Expert Panel.

New, major, upgraded or renewed infrastructure and rolling stock applicants have to follow a framework and seek an authorisation from the ORR before placing the infrastructure or rolling stock into service. In this podcast we'll learn about the path to applying for authorisation and the role the ORR plays to help the applicants, such as those who oversaw the upgraded Gatwick Airport and Castleford stations, East Linton and Brent Cross West, London's newest mainline station.

Highways UK brings together the people responsible for managing, maintaining, and future-proofing the nation's road networks. Over the course of the two-day event our roads team discussed areas including our Annual Assessment of National Highways and the next Road Investment Strategy, RIS3. In this podcast we catch up with:

In this episode, we take a look at the journey taken by a trainee inspector of railways at the Office of Rail and Road. We speak to two current trainee inspectors, an ORR inspector who explains what is needed to make the grade and Ian Prosser, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Railways, gives his advice to those taking their first steps. Find out more about our safety work. Contact us on podcast@orr.gov.uk.

In this episode, we take a look at the safety work we do in the heritage sector. Simon Barber, our principal inspector of heritage, and Richard Hines, our deputy chief inspector of non-mainline, discuss the frequent occurrences of working-at-height accidents, how the sector can benefit from the Risk Management Maturity Model, co-operation with the Heritage Railway Association and what steps the sector needs to take in order to improve safety. Find out more about the ORR's heritage railways work. Contact us on podcast@orr.gov.uk.

In this episode, Chief Executive, John Larkinson discusses ORR's role in rail reform. Recorded at the Accelerate Rail event in London on 21 March, John explains how rail reform and the implementation of Great British Railways will lead to significant change at ORR. He goes on to describe how things will need to be done differently because of a much bigger role for the organisation.

In this episode we discuss the Railway Work, Life & Death project, which takes a look back at railway worker accidents in Britain and Ireland from the late 1880s to 1939. We're joined by Dr Mike Esbester, a senior lecturer in history at the University of Portsmouth. The Office of Rail and Road has been pleased to be able to help the project, which is a joint initiative between the University of Portsmouth, the National Railway Museum and the Modern Records Centre at the University of Warwick. Paul Wilkinson, knowledge project lead in ORR's Railway Safety Directorate also joins the discussion. We explore some historic incidents, how safety has developed as a result, and how our archives continue to provide valuable insights to our colleagues in His Majesty's Railway Inspectorate.

In this episode we're out and about at the Highways UK event which took place at the NEC in Birmingham. We hear from John Larkinson, Chief Executive of ORR, Anthony Smith, Chief Executive, Transport Focus, and Nick Harris, Chief Executive, National Highways. They discussed smart motorways as part of a panel discussion during the event. Also from ORR, you'll hear from Sneha Patel, Deputy Director of the Highways Team and Harry Garnham, Head of Roads Performance who share their thoughts on the event and some of our areas of focus at the moment. Find out more about our work holding National Highways to account at: https://www.orr.gov.uk/monitoring-and-regulation/roads-monitoring/holding-national-highways-to-account

As Britain's rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road plays a vital role in improving the passenger experience in compensation, passenger information and accessibility. In this episode, the Rail and Road Pod takes a closer look at some of the work of its consumer team. The first half of this episode focuses on ORR's role in improving accessibility on the rail network by holding operators to account through Accessible Travel Policies, promoting accessibility and reducing barriers to travel. We also look at how improvements are being made in passenger information, with all train operators agreeing to sign up to new information pledges for passengers. We finish by taking a look at how ORR is improving access to delay compensation, and how it monitors train and station operators against the standards set out in a new licence condition that was introduced in April 2022. Find out more about the ORR's passenger information work at https://www.orr.gov.uk/monitoring-regulation/rail/passengers/information/passenger-information-licence-conditions

The topic of conversation this month ties in with International Women's Day on 8 March, the day which celebrates women's achievement and raises awareness against gender bias. Our topic for discussion is women in transport, specifically how both the rail and road industries are changing to improve their culture to be more inclusive, flexible, and open and encourage more women into roles within the industry. Hosted by Sneha Patel, Deputy Director of Highways at the Office of Rail and Road. We're joined by four guests: Annette Pass, Head of Innovation at National Highways; Christine Fernandes, Chair of Women in Rail; Erika Diaz, Talent Consultant at Network Rail; and Joanne Crompton a steam locomotive fireman at the East Lancashire Railway, Bury, and also at Llangollen Railway in North Wales. We hear them talk about experiences, the challenges women face and how to create a more inclusive industry and why women should be encouraged to enter into the transport sector.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent monitor of National Highways' performance and efficiency. This role was established in 2015 as part of the Government's road reform package. Since then, ORR has been holding National Highways (formerly Highways England) to account for the management of the strategic road network - the major motorways and major A roads in England. In this episode, we hold conversations with the Chief Executive of ORR, those that lead the company's Highways Monitor and also with the Chief Executive of National Highways and Transport Focus to find out about some of the steps ORR has taken to increase the transparency of performance, safety on England's roads and how the management of roads will look in the next five years. For more information on ORR's role in holding National Highways to account visit: https://www.orr.gov.uk/monitoring-and-regulation/roads-monitoring/about-our-highways-monitor-role

You Tuber, Geoff Marshall takes over the reins as guest host to discuss all things railway stats. Geoff's joined by guests from the Office of Rail and Road and the Office for Statistics Regulation to learn more about some of the statistics that the Office of Rail and Road produces. Geoff delves deep into why railway statistics are published by the Office of Rail and Road, how they are used, why they're regulated and talk through some of the findings from the past year. The Office of Rail and Road is the accredited primary provider of railway industry official stats, to find out more visit orr.gov.uk. The Office for Statistics Regulation is the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority. To find out more visit: osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk To hear from Geoff Marshall, visit his YouTube Channel to see him visit Britain's railway stations: https://t.co/9LtzEcqJCr

On our 9th episode, we’re taking another look at accessibility on Britain's railway. We're discussing disability awareness and equality training that forms an integral part of the requirements set out in the Office of Rail and Road’s Accessible Travel Policy Guidance. In this year alone, tens of thousands of railway staff have undertaken the training that is designed to help with understanding disabled people’s needs, allowing staff to communicate more effectively with disabled passengers, to understand the challenges they may face when travelling and to refresh their knowledge and skills to provide any assistance needed. We're joined by a number of guests including Claire Clark from the Consumer Policy and Compliance Monitoring team at ORR; Caroline Eglinton, Access and Inclusion Manager from Network Rail; Greg Suligowski, Head of Customer Strategy from Merseyrail; and Jenny Saunders, Customer Services Director and Sophie Court, Accessibility Improvement Manager from Thameslink and Great Northern.

On this, the second episode focusing on heritage railways, the Rail and Road Pod visits Aln Valley Railway in Northumberland to continue the discussion on how ORR and the heritage sector are collaborating to maximise safety. Once again, host Kenny Walker, is joined in conversation by Ian Skinner, Office of Rail and Road’s Head of Non-Mainline and lead for Heritage Railway safety; Steve Oates, chief executive of the Heritage Railway Association; and Michael Proctor, chairman of Aln Valley Railway in Northumberland. The Pod is taken on a tour of Aln Valley to look at some of the recent safety improvements made and taken on a ride of one of the railway's Pacer services. The Pod also talks to members of Aln Valley staff on how the help of ORR has delivered better safety for its operations. For more information on how the Office of Rail and Road regulates the health and safety of heritage railways visit: https://www.orr.gov.uk/about/who-we-work-with/railway-networks/minor-heritage-railways To learn more about the Heritage Railway Association visit: https://www.hra.uk.com/ To plan a visit to Aln Valley Railway, see: https://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/

In this episode, the Rail and Road Pod looks at how the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) holds Network Rail to account for its performance and efficiency. The podcast takes an in-depth look at some of the key findings from the rail regulator's recently published Annual Assessment of Network Rail. Three of ORR’s Senior Regulation Managers join the Pod to talk about what went well in each of Network Rail's regions as well as discussing some areas where improvement is needed. For more information on how ORR holds Network Rail to account visit: https://www.orr.gov.uk/monitoring-regulation/rail/networks/network-rail/holding-network-rail-account For more information and to read ORR's 2020-21 Annual Assessment, visit: https://www.orr.gov.uk/monitoring-regulation/rail/networks/network-rail/monitoring-performance/annual-assessment-network-rail

In this episode, the Rail and Road Pod visits the Rail Live exhibition at the ‎Quinton Rail Technology Centre in Warwickshire. The event, over two days, brings the entire rail industry together in a real railway environment. Over the two days, we spoke to Rail Live's Managing Editor, Nigel Harris, who discussed planning for the 2021 event and also with a number of rail industry professionals on topics such as electrification, track worker safety and the role of the rail regulator in a reformed railway. There's also the unveiling of the GB RailFreight locomotive named Major John Poyntz, who was the final Royal Engineer to be an HM Inspecting Officer of Railways. We spoke to those who shared memories of Major John Poyntz.

In this, the first of a two-part episode, the Rail and Road Pod hears about how heritage railways are safely returning for passengers and how one particular railway has delivered improvements over the last year. To discuss, the Pod is joined by Ian Skinner, Office of Rail and Road’s Head of Non-Mainline and lead for Heritage Railway safety; Steve Oates, chief executive of the Heritage Railway Association; and Michael Proctor, chairman of Aln Valley Railway in Northumberland. Across Britain, there are more than 200 heritage railways. These are 'lines of local interest', museum railways or tourist railways that preserve, recreate or simulate railways of the past; or demonstrate or operate historical or special types of motive power or rolling stock. For more information on how the Office of Rail and Road regulates the health and safety of heritage railways visit: https://www.orr.gov.uk/about/who-we-work-with/railway-networks/minor-heritage-railways To learn more about the Heritage Railway Association visit: https://www.hra.uk.com/ To plan a visit to Aln Valley Railway, see: https://www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk/

Highways England maintains, renews, operates and improves the strategic road network – the motorways and main 'A' roads in England. The Office of Rail and Road is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the performance and efficiency of Highways England, and holds the company to account for its management of the strategic road network. In this episode of the Rail and Road Pod, we find out more about how Highways England are monitored and how that delivers benefits to road users. We're joined by Feras Alshaker, deputy director for roads and Stephen Bussell, senior highways economist from ORR to explain more. We're also joined by Guy Dangerfield, head of strategy at Transport Focus, who delves into how it gathers insights from road users to help Highways England deliver improvements. For more information on how the Office of Rail and Road monitors Highways England's roads visit www.orr.gov.uk/monitoring-regulation/road/highways-england For more information on Transport Focus' Strategic Road User Survey visit www.transportfocus.org.uk/insight/strategic-roads-user-survey/

The official Office of Rail and Road podcast brings together a series of conversations to discuss issues impacting all aspects of Britain's railways and England's road network. On this episode ORR’s Deputy Director for Access and International, Martin Jones and Head of Access and Licensing, Gareth Clancy, discuss how decisions are made about what fits where on Britain’s railway; the balancing act between passenger and freight services and what happens when disagreements arise. Contact us on podcast@orr.gov.uk