ORR proposals for rail ticket market safeguards

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has today launched a consultation on a draft Retail Code of Practice that would establish new safeguards for the future online rail ticket market under Great British Railways (GBR). The draft Code is intended to help ensure the market remains fair and open, supporting competition and passenger choice as GBR takes on a major role in rail retail.

GBR will operate most passenger rail services, set the customer offer for those services, and sell tickets across digital channels, at stations and on board its trains.

In the online ticket retail market, GBR will also manage the retail functions that other ticket retailers rely on to participate in the market, such as central industry IT systems, data processing and the issuing of third-party retailer licences.

ORR's proposed Retail Code of Practice would require GBR to give all non-GBR online retailers fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory access to fares, products, systems and related services, without giving its own online ticket retail business an undue advantage.

The regulator's proposed Retail Code of Practice also sets expectations for managing conflicts of interest, protecting commercially sensitive information and making market-wide decisions fairly and transparently.

GBR will be required to comply with the Retail Code via its licence, allowing ORR to monitor compliance and, where necessary, consider formal enforcement action. GBR will also be subject to competition law and need to act in a way which does not exclude competitors, distort the online retail market or abuse its position.

Stephanie Tobyn, ORR's Director of Strategy, Policy and Reform, said:

"Passengers should have confidence that the rail ticket market works fairly, whichever retailer they choose to buy tickets from.

"GBR will have an important role in shaping the future retail market, while also selling tickets itself. Our proposed Retail Code of Practice will provide enforceable safeguards to help maintain a fair and open online retail market, supporting passenger choice.

"We've already engaged with representative organisations and key stakeholders, and now we want to hear from everyone with an interest in the future online rail retail market. Their views will help us ensure the Retail Code of Practice is effective in supporting a fair and open market."

ORR is encouraging independent retailers, rail operators, passenger and consumer groups and other interested organisations to respond to the consultation.

The consultation closes on 11 December 2026. Responses will help inform the final Retail Code, expected to be published in spring 2027.

Find out more and respond to the consultation: https://www.orr.gov.uk/search-consultations/retail-code-practice