ORR publishes views on RIS2

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) says lessons must be learnt from the delivery of the Road Investment Strategy (RIS) as plans for RIS2 continue to gather pace.  

The ORR has been working closely with the Department for Transport and Highways England on the planning for RIS2, which covers the funding period for the strategic road network from 2020 to 2025, and has published its approach to the Strategy.

It gives an early explanation of how ORR will assess the plans which will be put forward by Highways England. It highlights the need for:

• A more robust planning process for future Road Investment Strategies, learning lessons from RIS1



• A robust evidence base, built on analysis and strong stakeholder engagement, to ensure plans deliver for road users and funders



• Increased transparency to allow more effective monitoring during RIS2.

The ORR has also published an update on its work in benchmarking Highways England.

In a statement, the ORR said: “We have assembled initial analysis to provide Highways England with a range of potential comparators between their regions. This analysis, though based on a snapshot of one year’s data, will help us compare its performance and determine where it may be able to improve over time.”