Britain's railway system was restructured and privatised between 1994 and 1997. The industry now consists of separate companies, including infrastructure controllers, train and freight operating companies, rolling stock companies and contractor companies to maintain and renew the infrastructure. Several government bodies have regulatory roles.
RSSB's primary objective is to lead and facilitate the railway industry's
work to achieve continuous improvement in the health and safety performance
of the railways in Great Britain. It is responsible for developing and
maintaining Railway Group Standards, measuring and reporting on safety
performance and providing safety intelligence. It also manages the industry's
new research and development programme, and promotes safety within the
rail industry and to the travelling public.
Network Rail
As the principal infrastructure manager, Network Rail owns the main
national network and charges access fees to train operating companies.
Network Rail is responsible for the maintenance, repair and renewal
of the track, stations, signalling and electrical control equipment
and for enhancing the network.
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR)
The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) was established on 5 July 2004 by
the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003. It replaces the Office of
the Rail Regulator. As the railway industry's economic regulator, the
Office's principal function is to regulate Network Rail's stewardship
of the national network. The ORR also licenses operators of railway assets,
approves agreements for access by operators to track, stations, and light
maintenance depots, and enforces domestic competition law.
The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC)
ATOC acts as the official voice of the passenger rail industry, providing
its members with a range of services that enable them to comply with conditions
laid on them in their franchise agreements and operating licences. These
include revenue allocation and settlement, National Rail Enquiry Service
(NRES), railcard marketing and staff travel arrangements. ATOC's principal
activities are to help members work together to meet their obligations
and to promote the use of passenger services, to assist members to co-operate
on developing products and managing projects that benefit passengers,
to promote the advantages of the rail network and to share best practice.
