HM Principal Inspector of Railways - Operations

We are looking for a HM Principal Inspector of Railways - Railway Operations to join our Railway Safety, Specialist team. This role can be based at any of our office locations:
London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, York, Glasgow. At ORR we have adopted hybrid working and are currently expected to work from a workplace location for a minimum of two days per week or 40%.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the independent economic and safety regulator for Britain’s railways and monitor of performance on England’s strategic road network.

This is an exciting time to join ORR, we are delivering a significant transformation programme to create a consistently agile and enabling organisation, with the right capability and a strong, inclusive culture that reflects our talented people. This will ensure we continue to operate as an independent, expert regulator, fit for the future and equipped with the capabilities and ways of working required to support sector-wide rail reform, while contributing to the government’s broader agenda on regulatory reform and economic growth.

Further detail on our future role is set out here.

Railway Safety Directorate ensures duty-holders in the railway industry manage health and safety risks effectively and comply with their statutory duties and plays a vital role in keeping Britain’s railways moving safely and efficiently. From the entire mainline network to the London Underground, light rail, trams and the heritage sector, we oversee the safety of one of the most complex and dynamic transport systems in the world.

We want to ensure our railway is not only a safe way to travel, but also a safe place to work.

Across RS, more than 100 health and safety operational and specialist inspectors are recognised and respected throughout the industry. With significant enforcement powers and deep technical expertise, they help ensure the rail system operates safely and efficiently. Our Specialist Team leads strategic intervention in high-risk areas of railway health and safety, helping to shape strategy, improve industry risk control, and support operational teams with specialist knowledge.

We are looking for a highly experienced railway operations professional to join our Specialist Team. As a Principal Inspector specialising in railway operations, you will provide expertise in order to help achieve the delivery of ORR’s regulation of health and safety on Britain’s railways. We will expect you to help drive improvements in the management of system risk and reliability of the rail network.

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Job Information Pack for further details.

Find out what our colleagues have to say about their ORR careers at Our people | Office of Rail and Road ().