Rail timetable disruption: launch of inquiry

Wednesday, 13 June 2018 20:56

Following Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s decision to hold an independent inquiry into the disruption caused by the May timetable change, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today published the terms of reference for the inquiry (PDF, 375KB). The ORR will scrutinise the roles played by all parties involved in the process, including train...Request free trial

The ORR will scrutinise the roles played by all parties involved in the process, including train operators, the Department for Transport and Network Rail to establish what went wrong and ensure it does not happen again. The Department for Transport has promised its full co-operation.

The inquiry will be given full access to all the information available at each organisation involved and evidence from passengers will be collected from the consumer interest group Transport Focus.

Professor Stephen Glaister will lead the inquiry in his capacity as Chair of the ORR. A respected transport and regulatory expert with experience in both the road and rail sectors, Stephen Glaister is Emeritus Professor of Transport and Infrastructure at Imperial College and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Rail Minister Jo Johnson said:

GTR and Northern are rightly focused on improving services for passengers, who will receive compensation for the unacceptable disruption experienced in recent weeks, and that is our overriding priority.

This independent inquiry will at the same time ensure we also learn all the lessons from what has happened.

The interim report will be published in September and full report in December. Separately, the department will be investigating whether GTRand Northern have breached their contracts and will take appropriate action if they have.