ORR to undertake an investigation of National Highways’ performance
The Office of Rail and Road has opened an investigation into the performance of National Highways. The ORR says that, since it was created, National Highways has generally achieved its aims and delivered well for road users, and during this time the two bodies have worked together to successfully resolve individual issues before they have […]
ORR “holds National Highways to account” to meet corporate carbon emissions target
The Office of Rail and Road has issued a blog post regarding National Highways’ commitments to reduce its corporate carbon emissions. Haydn Gill, Senior analyst, Highways writes that ORR holds National Highways to account to meet its target of a 67% reduction in corporate carbon emissions by 2025 compared to 2017-18 levels. Corporate carbon emissions […]
ORR updates on National Highways’ safety KPI
Latest figures from the Department for Transport show that 1,944 people were killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network in 2022. This is 38% lower than the 2005-2009 average baseline but means that National Highways must deliver a further improvement of 12 percentage points (376 KSIs) to achieve its target of a 50% […]
ORR report shows England’s best and worst regions for motorway and A-road surface condition
A new report from the Office of Rail and Road shows that the condition of road surfaces in National Highways’ East region – covering Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Essex and Bedfordshire, is consistently lower than in the rest of England. The South West region, covering Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, and Wiltshire, consistently performs the best. ORR’s Benchmarking Road Surface […]
Declan Collier reappointed ORR Chair
The Transport Secretary Mark Harper has today reappointed Declan Collier as the Chair of the Office of Rail and Road for a further five-year term. The Department for Transport says that in his second term as Chair, Mr Collier “will continue to drive forward the important work of the ORR, holding Network Rail and National […]
ORR welcomes smart motorway technology improvements
The Office of Rail and Road has written to National Highways welcoming improvements in the performance of its smart motorway Stopped Vehicle Detection technology, following initial testing. However, ORR says it recognises that caution is required when interpreting the data. In December 2022, ORR reported that the SVD system on all lane running sections of […]
ORR gearing up for RIS3
The organisation which oversees the running of National Highways has issued a blog post looking ahead to the third Road Investment Strategy. Stephen Bussell, Principal Economist, Highways at the Office of Rail and Road explains that as preparations continue for the next RIS, ORR is paying more attention to the quality of National Highways’ plans […]
ORR brings in new level crossing rules to speed up safety improvements
The Office of Rail and Road has introduced new guidance to allow for improvements at level crossings to be made without the need to be approved by a new level crossing order. Therefore, changes such as altering the number of lights on barriers, using a verbal warning alarm when another train is approaching, and upgrading […]
Transport watchdog confirms CEO
The Office of Rail and Road has confirmed John Larkinson as Chief Executive Officer, having been interim CEO for more than two years. He was confirmed in the post long-term after a public consultation, and as is protocol for a role at this level, the appointment by the ORR Board has now been endorsed by […]
