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Office of Rail and Road

Asked by Mr Richard HoldenConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 19 September 2025UIN 76653

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of transferring the Office of Rail and Road’s (a) regulatory and (b) oversight functions to Great British Railways on (i) passenger protections and (ii) service standards.

Answered by Keir Mather

The Government is committed to delivering a simpler, more accountable railway with clear responsibilities. The design of the new system and the creation of Great British Railways will ensure that decisions are clear, robust and transparent and that Great British Railways will be accountable for its decisions with appropriate oversight in place. Key sector bodies, including the Secretary of State for Transport, the Chair and Board of Great British Railways, the Office of Rail and Road, and the new Passenger Watchdog, will all have an important role to play in keeping Great British Railways accountable. The Office of Rail and Road will continue to provide external regulation, enforcement and monitoring in the new sector across key areas. More detail on the proposed roles for these bodies, including the role of the Office of Rail and Road in funding, licensing and track access, can be found in the consultation document ‘A railway fit for Britain’s future’. We will look to publish the formal Government response to the feedback we received on these proposals in due course.

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