Rail and Road Pod

Stephen Bussell and Prentiss Clarke-Jones discuss our recent analysis of National Highways' regional performance during the second road period, and also our annual assessment of safety on the strategic road network.

The rail industry often requires workers to undertake safety-critical duties in remote and isolated locations, often during unsociable hours, and operating in these environments can present many challenges for them, including securing access to appropriate welfare facilities, such as toilets.

In the latest episode of the Rail and Road Pod, Richard Hines, our HM chief inspector of railways, explains what tangible improvements the rail regulator wants to see, including working towards a culture where sharing welfare facilities becomes the norm.

And Sally Griffiths, from RSSB, talks about how her organisation has worked to tackle the shortage of welfare facilities for freight drivers by driving standards, research and collaboration in this area.

ORR's duties are wide-ranging, and its engineers are integral to the work carried out across both rail and road. 

This can include evaluating infrastructure projects in the way they are managed, reviewing designs, and ensuring compliance with regulations. To mark the recent International Women in Engineering Day, Cherry Lam, Jenny Hamilton, Morwenna Corry and Rachel McDonnell spoke about why they chose to become engineers and their varied work for ORR.

We speak to Jennifer Genevieve, deputy director in our economics, finance and markets team, and Sarah Shore, deputy director in our railway safety team to discuss how the rail industry determines what is "reasonably practicable" when making safety-related decisions. This episode sheds light on ORR's ongoing review and its impact on the industry.

We speak to Rachel Gittens, Deputy Director for Strategic Road Network, and Iain Ritchie, Head of Safety and Performance, to learn more about ORR's recent annual assessment and investigation of National Highways. 

In this episode we join a conversation between Ian Prosser CBE, who recently retired as Chief Inspector of Railways, and his successor Richard Hines.   

Ian takes a look back at the successes and challenges during his 15 years in the role and offers advice to Richard, who also shares what he expects to achieve in his new role.

In this podcast Jacqui Russell, the head of our Consumer team, and Matt Westlake, who leads on accessibility matters, will both provide an insight into the recent work of their team who review the many aspects of the rail passenger experience. They also look ahead to a busy 2024.

And Dr Ralitsa Hiteva talks about the value of her involvement with ORR's Consumer Expert Panel.

New, major, upgraded or renewed infrastructure and rolling stock applicants have to follow a framework and seek an authorisation from the ORR before placing the infrastructure or rolling stock into service.

In this podcast we'll learn about the path to applying for authorisation and the role the ORR plays to help the applicants, such as those who oversaw the upgraded Gatwick Airport and Castleford stations, East Linton and Brent Cross West, London's newest mainline station.

Highways UK brings together the people responsible for managing, maintaining, and future-proofing the nation's road networks. 

Over the course of the two-day event our roads team discussed areas including our Annual Assessment of National Highways and the next Road Investment Strategy, RIS3. 

In this podcast we catch up with:

• Feras Alshaker, ORR director of planning and performance
• Nick Harris, chief executive officer of National Highways, who manage England's motorways and A-roads   
• Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users
• Sneha Patel, ORR deputy director for roads  

In this episode, we take a look at the journey taken by a trainee inspector of railways at the Office of Rail and Road.

We speak to two current trainee inspectors, an ORR inspector who explains what is needed to make the grade and Ian Prosser, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Railways, gives his advice to those taking their first steps.

Find out more about our safety work.

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