CONSULT.Outcome publishedConsultation · gov.uk
Northern Ireland (NI) transfer of rail operator penalising: changes to regulation guidance and economic enforcement policy
Seeks views on an altered economic enforcement policy and regulation guidance to include the penalising of non-compliant NI rail operators.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · gov.uk
Detail
We are consulting on a draft railways infrastructure regulation guidance and new ORR economic enforcement policy which reflect powers transferred in Northern Ireland regulations. The NI rail regulations confer a power on the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to impose penalties on an operator if it breaches an ORR:
- decision
- direction
- notice
In practice this allows us to impose penalties on:
- infrastructure managers
- service providers
- railway undertakings
in NI. Our approach to enforcing licence compliance in Great Britain remains largely unchanged.