Access and licensing

As the rail regulator, we have legal duties to contribute to sustainable development, and to consider the railway’s effect on the environment. One of the ways we make sure operators are protecting the environment is through our role in licencing the railway, with a specific environment condition in all railway licences.

Today the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has published for the first time, the track access dashboard, an overview of how passenger and freight train operators are using the capacity available across the UK rail network (access rights) and how effectively the rail industry is meeting timetabling timescales.