Ofrailn.
/ˈɒfreɪl/, U.S. /ˈɔfˌreɪl/, /ˈɑfˌreɪl/ An unofficial name for: the Office of the Rail Regulator, a regulatory body created in 1993 to supervise the privatization of British Rail; officially abbreviated ORR.In earliest example denoting a proposed regulatory body of this nature.
ΚΠ
1990 Financial Times 4 Apr. 11/1 Pointing to a recent experience with a similar system—Oftel, the British Telecom watchdog—Prof Bradshaw suggested that the railways should be subject to a regulatory body called Ofrail.
1993 Independent on Sunday 12 Dec. (Business section) 7/1 ORR—or Ofrail as it is unofficially known, though for obvious reasons the abbreviation does not appeal to the Department of Transport—is the latest in a growing band of regulatory bodies created to monitor the privatised utilities and contracted-out services.
1996 Daily Tel. (Electronic ed.) 29 Apr. OFRAIL... Plan to cut stations to buy through tickets triggered row.
2000 Weston & Worle News (Electronic ed.) 24 Feb. Mr Cotter is now in contact with the Rail Users' Consultative Committee, who are violently opposed to the changes, and has also written to Ofrail and Wales and West in a bid to have the decision reversed.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1990