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<p>Passenger train operators must have a licence granted by the Office of Rail and
Road (ORR). The licence requires the operator to establish and comply with a complaints
handling procedure (CHP) setting out how they handle complaints from customers. The
CHP, which has to be approved by the ORR, should include that passengers who are unhappy
with the outcome of their complaint can contact Transport Focus (TF) or where appropriate,
London TravelWatch (LTW), who may be able to pursue the complaint on their behalf.</p><p>
</p><p>ORR reserves the right to carry out detailed annual reviews of licence holders
where there is evidence of systemic issues not being addressed or a significant decrease
in service performance. They will continue to monitor individual CHPs for compliance
and effectiveness using evidence including information on the number, type and underlying
cause of complaints and feedback from TF and LTW.</p><p> </p><p>My honourable Friend
the Rail Minister (Paul Maynard) has also been leading discussions with industry and
consumer bodies about introducing a rail ombudsman that would improve the passenger
voice in rail and provide independent binding resolution of complaints. He anticipates
being in a position to provide a further update by the end of the summer when this
work has been further developed.</p>
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