Over the first part of 2018, ORR Board members and senior executives travelled across the UK, to meet with stakeholders and staff of the industries we regulate and monitor. These visits are a regular part of our work and are invaluable in informing it.
Informing our work
Three of these visits were to hear feedback on our draft business plan. I joined the ORR team who presented our draft priorities in Birmingham, at an event held with Midlands Connect. We received useful comments for our Business Plan and which will go on to inform our work throughout the year. ORR colleagues participated in similar events in Manchester and Glasgow, which were an addition to our programme this year and sit alongside the annual stakeholder event we hold in London.
We received good feedback for the programme overall and we will look to hold similar events in early 2019 to discuss the 2019-20 business plan. I hope that as many representatives as possible of industry, the supply chain, passenger groups, local officials and other interests can join us then.
Seeing work in action
As well as these events, in February the Board continued its programme of meetings outside of London. Alongside our Board meeting and stakeholder dinner in Leeds we undertook a number of site visits.
It was a pleasure to visit Leeds station, and see first hand the operations of such a central hub, which saw thirty million visitors last year.
We also covered other areas of ORR’s remit, with a visit to Highways England’s Tingley depot and salt barn; this proved a fascinating background timed as it was right in the middle of the ‘Beast From The East”!
ORR’s Director of Safety and Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Railways, Ian Prosser, led a delegation to the Sheffield Tram Train Project, as part of the ongoing work he is leading with the industry on the recommendations from RAIB’s report on the Croydon Sandilands tram accident.
We also visited the Nevill Hill train maintenance depot. In use for over 100 years, the depot’s staff of over 400 ensure maintenance and running for several different train operators.
Getting about the UK is important for us to ensure we understand the views of industry and other stakeholders, and the Board intends to continue to develop its programme of visits for the future.