Railways Act 1993

Introductory E+W+S

1 The Rail Regulator F1 . . .. E+W+S

(1) The Secretary of State shall appoint—

(a) an officer to be known as “the Rail Regulator” (in this Act referred to as “the Regulator”), F2 . . .

F2 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

for the purpose of carrying out the functions assigned or transferred to the Regulator, F3 . . . by or under this Act.

(2) An appointment of a person to hold office as the Regulator F3 . . . shall be for a term not exceeding five years; but previous appointment F3 . . . shall not affect eligibility for re-appointment F3 . . ..

(3) The Secretary of State may remove any person from office as the Regulator F4 . . . on the ground of incapacity or misbehaviour.

(4) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) above, a person appointed as the Regulator F4 . . . shall hold and vacate office as such in accordance with the terms of his appointment.

F5 (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(6) The provisions of Schedule 1 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the Regulator F6 . . ..

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 1 sidenote repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F2 S. 1(1)(b) and word “and" immediately before it repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F3 Words in s. 1(2) repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F4 Words in s. 1(3)(4) repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F5 S. 1(5) repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F6 Words in s. 1(6) repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

2 [F7 Passengers’ Committees]. E+W+S

F8 (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) The [F9 Strategic Rail Authority (in this Act referred to as “the Authority")] shall establish a number of committees, not exceeding nine at any one time, to be known as Rail [F7 Passengers’ Committees].

(3) There shall be one [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee] for Scotland, and one for Wales.

(4) In addition to the [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committees] established under subsection (2) above, the [F10 London Transport Users Committee] shall be treated as the [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee] for the Greater London area for all purposes of this Part other than—

(a) subsections (2) and (3) above and subsections (6) to (8) below;

(b) section 79 below; and

(c) Schedule 2 to this Act;

and references in this Part to a [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee] shall be construed accordingly.

(5) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) above—

(a) each [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee] shall be appointed for such area as the [F11 Authority] may from time to time assign to it; and

(b) the [F11 Authority] shall so assign areas to [Rail Passengers’ Committees]as to secure that every place in Great Britain forms part of the area of a [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee], and that no place forms part of the area of two or more [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committees].

(6) Each [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee] established under subsection (2) above [F12 , except [F7 the Rail Passengers’ Committee] established for Scotland in accordance with subsection (3) above;] shall consist of—

(a) a chairman appointed by the Secretary of State after consultation with the [F11 Authority]; and

(b) such other members, being not less than ten nor more than twenty in number, as the [F11 Authority] may from time to time appoint, after consultation with the Secretary of State and the chairman.

[F13 (6A) The [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee]] for Scotland shall consist of–

(a) a Chairman appointed by the Scottish Ministers after consultation with the [F11 Authority]; and

(b) such other members, being not less than ten nor more than twenty in number, as the [F11 Authority] may from time to time appoint, after consultation with the Scottish Ministers and the chairman.

(7) The chairman and other members of a [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committee] established under subsection (2) above shall hold and vacate office in accordance with the terms of the instruments appointing them and shall, on ceasing to hold office, be eligible for re-appointment.

(8) The provisions of Schedule 2 to this Act shall have effect with respect to each of the [F7 Rail Passengers’ Committees] established under subsection (2) above.

(9) Unless the Secretary of State, after consultation with the [F11 Authority], otherwise directs, “the Greater London area” means, for the purposes of this section, the area for which, [F14 immediately before the coming into force of section 252(1) of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (which substitutes the London Transport Users’ Committee for the London Regional Passengers’ Committee in subsection (4) above) the London Regional Passengers’ Committee was the consultative committee under subsection (4) above.]

Textual Amendments

F7 Words in s. 2(2)-(6)(6A)(7)(8) and sidenote substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 227, Sch. 22 Pt. I para. 2; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F8 S. 2(1) repealed (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, ss. 254(2), 423, Sch. 19 para. 5(2), Sch. 34 Pt. II (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 3, Sch. Pt. 3

F9 Words in s. 2(2) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 216, Sch. 17 para. 18(2); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F10 Words in s. 2(4) substituted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 252(1) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 3, Sch. Pt. 3

F11 Words in s. 2(5)(6)(6A)(9) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 216, Sch. 17 para. 18(3); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F12 Words in s. 2(6) inserted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1747, arts. 1, 3 Sch. 22 Pt. II para. 2(2)(a); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3

F13 S. 2(6A) inserted (1.7.1999) by S.I. 1999/1747, arts. 1, 3, Sch. 22 Pt. II para. 2(2)(b); S.I. 1998/3178, art. 3

F14 Words in s. 2(9) substituted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 252(2), Sch. 19, para. 5(3) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 3, Sch. Pt. 3

3 [F15 Rail Passengers’ Council]. E+W+S

(1) The Central Transport Consultative Committee for Great Britain, established under section 56 of the Transport Act 1962, is hereby abolished.

[F16 (2) There shall be a council to be known as the Rail Passengers’ Council.]

(3) The [F15 Rail Passengers’ Council] shall consist of—

(a) a chairman, appointed by the Secretary of State after consultation with the [F17 Authority];

(b) every person who for the time being holds office as chairman of a [F15 Rail Passengers’ Committee] established under section 2(2) above or as chairman of the [F18 London Transport Users’ Committee]

(c) not more than six other members, appointed by the [F17 Authority] after consultation with the Secretary of State and the chairman.

(4) The chairman of the [F15 Rail Passengers’ Council] and any members appointed under subsection (3)(c) above shall hold and vacate office in accordance with the terms of the instruments appointing them and shall, on ceasing to hold office, be eligible for re-appointment.

(5) The provisions of Schedule 3 to this Act shall have effect with respect to the [F15 Rail Passengers’ Council].

Textual Amendments

F15 Words in s. 3(3)(4)(5) and sidenote substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 227, Sch. 22 Pt. I para. 3(3)(4)(5); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F16 S. 3(2) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 227, Sch. 22 Pt. I para. 3(2); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F17 Words in s. 3(3) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 216, Sch. 17 para. 19; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F18 Words in s. 3(3)(b) substituted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 252(2), Sch. 19 para. 5(4) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 3, Sch. Pt. 3

4 General duties of the Secretary of State and the Regulator. E+W+S

(1) The [F19 Regulator shall] have a duty to exercise the functions assigned or transferred to him under or by virtue of this Part in the manner which he considers best calculated—

[F20 (za) to facilitate the furtherance by the Authority of any strategies which it has formulated with respect to its purposes;]

(a) to protect the interests of users of railway services;

(b) to promote the use of the railway network in Great Britain for the carriage of passengers and goods, and the development of that railway network, to the greatest extent that he considers economically practicable;

[F21 (ba) to contribute to the development of an integrated system of transport of passengers and goods;

(bb) to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development;]

(c) to promote efficiency and economy on the part of persons providing railway services;

(d) to promote competition in the provision of railway services [F22 for the benefit of users of railway services];

(e) to promote measures designed to facilitate the making by passengers of journeys which involve use of the services of more than one passenger service operator;

(f) to impose on the operators of railway services the minimum restrictions which are consistent with the performance of his functions under this Part;

(g) to enable persons providing railway services to plan the future of their businesses with a reasonable degree of assurance.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1)(a) above, the [F23 Regulator shall] have a duty, in particular, to exercise the functions assigned or transferred to him under or by virtue of this Part in the manner which he considers is best calculated to protect—

(a) the interests of users and potential users of services for the carriage of passengers by railway provided by a private sector operator otherwise than under a franchise agreement, in respect of—

(i) the prices charged for travel by means of those services, and

(ii) the quality of the service provided,

in cases where the circumstances appear to F24 . . . the Regulator to be such as to give rise, or be likely to give rise, to a monopoly situation in the passenger transport market; and

(b) the interests of persons providing services for the carriage of passengers or goods by railway in their use of any railway facilities which are for the time being vested in a private sector operator, in respect of—

(i) the prices charged for such use; and

(ii) the quality of the service provided.

(3) The [F25 Regulator shall] be under a duty in exercising the functions assigned or transferred to him under or by virtue of this Part—

(a) to take into account the need to protect all persons from dangers arising from the operation of railways, taking into account, in particular, any advice given to him in that behalf by the Health and Safety Executive; and

(b) to have regard to the effect on the environment of activities connected with the provision of railway services.

[F26 (3A) Subsections (1) to (3) above shall have effect in relation to the Secretary of State as in relation to the Regulator, except that in their application to the Secretary of State—

(a) paragraph (za) of subsection (1) above shall be disregarded; and

(b) the references in each of the subsections to the functions transferred or assigned to the Secretary of State under or by virtue of this Part include only the functions transferred or assigned to him under or by virtue of sections 6 to 22 and 37 to 50 below.]

(4) The Secretary of State shall also be under a duty, in exercising the functions assigned or transferred to him under or by virtue of this Part, to promote the award of franchise agreements to companies in which qualifying railway employees have a substantial interest, “qualifying railway employees” meaning for this purpose persons who are or have been employed in an undertaking which provides or provided the services to which the franchise agreement in question relates at a time before those services begin to be provided under that franchise agreement.

(5) The Regulator shall also be under a duty in exercising the functions assigned or transferred to him under this Part—

[F27 (a) to have regard to any general guidance given to him by the Secretary of State about railway services or other matters relating to railways;]

(b) to act in a manner which he considers will not render it unduly difficult for persons who are holders of network licences to finance any activities or proposed activities of theirs in relation to which the Regulator has functions under or by virtue of this Part (whether or not the activities in question are, or are to be, carried on by those persons in their capacity as holders of such licences);F28 . . .

(c) to have regard to the financial position of the [F29 Authority in discharging its] functions under this Part [F30 ; and]

[F31 (d) to have regard to the ability of the Mayor of London, London Regional Transport and Transport for London to carry out the functions conferred or imposed on them by or under any enactment]

(6) In performing his duty under subsection (1)(a) above so far as relating to services for the carriage of passengers by railway or to station services, the Regulator shall have regard, in particular, to the interests of persons who are disabled.

(7) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (e) of subsection (1) above, any arrangements for the issue and use of through tickets shall be regarded as a measure falling within that paragraph.

[F32 (7ZA) Any general guidance given by the Secretary of State to the Regulator about railway services or other matters relating to railways—

(a) shall be published by the Secretary of State in such manner as he considers appropriate; and

(b) may be varied or revoked.]

[F33 (7A) Subsections (1) to (6) above do not apply in relation to anything done by the Regulator in the exercise of functions assigned to him by section 67(3) below (“Competition Act functions”).

(7B) The Regulator may nevertheless, when exercising any Competition Act function, have regard to any matter in respect of which a duty is imposed by any of subsections (1) to (6) above, if it is a matter to which the Director General of Fair Trading could have regard when exercising that function.]

(8) For the purposes of this section, “monopoly situation” has the same meaning as it has in the M1 Fair Trading Act 1973 (in this Part referred to as “the 1973 Act”), except that in relation to the passenger transport market—

(a) the expression includes a monopoly situation which is limited to the passenger transport market in some part of the United Kingdom; and

(b) in the application of section 7 of the 1973 Act (monopoly situation in relation to the supply of services) for the purposes of paragraph (a) above, references in that section to the United Kingdom shall accordingly be taken to include references to a part of the United Kingdom.

(9) In this section—

• [F34 “ the environment” means all , or any, of the following media, namely , the air, water and land (and the medium of air includes the air within buildings and the air within other natural or man-made structures above or below ground);]

• “the passenger transport market” means the market for the supply of services for the carriage of passengers, whether by railway or any other means of transport;

• F35 . . .

  (a)

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  (b)

  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F19 Words in s. 4(1) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(2)(a); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F20 S. 4(1)(za) inserted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(2)(b); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F21 S. 4(1)(ba)(bb) inserted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(2)(c); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F22 Words in s. 4(1)(d) inserted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(2)(d); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F23 Words in s. 4(2) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(3)(a); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F24 Words in s. 4(2) repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, ss. 224(3)(b), 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F25 Words in s. 4(3) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(4); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F26 S. 4(3A) inserted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(5); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F27 S. 4(5)(a) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(6); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F28 Word in s. 4(5) omitted (3.7.2000) by virtue of 1999 c. 29, s. 200(4) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(c), Sch.

F29 Words in s. 4(5)(c) substituted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 215, Sch. 16 para. 9; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F30 S. 4(5)(d) and preceding word inserted (3.7.2000) by Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c. 29), ss. 200, 425(2)(3) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(c), Sch.

F31 S. 4(5)(d) and preceding word inserted (3.7.2000) by Greater London Authority Act 1999 (c. 29), ss. 200, 425(2)(3) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(c), Sch.

F32 S. 4(7ZA) inserted (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 224(7); S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

F33 S. 4(7A)(7B) inserted (1.3.2000) by 1998 c. 41, ss. 9(3), 66(5), Sch. 10 Pt. II para. 6(3) (with s. 73); S.I. 2000/344, art. 2, Sch.

F34 S. 4(9): definition of “the environment" substituted (14.12.1999) by 1999 c. 24, s. 6, Sch. 2 para. 12; S.I. 1999/3376, art. 2

F35 S. 4(9): definition of "through ticket" repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31 Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)

Commencement Information

I1 S. 4 wholly in force at 21.3.1994; s. 4 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 154(2); s. 4(1)(3)(7)(9) in force for specified purposes at 24.12.1993 by S.I. 1993/3237, art. 2(1); s. 4(1)-(3)(5)(6) in force for specified purposes at 22.2.1994 by S.I. 1994/447, art. 2 and in force at 21.3.1994 insofar as not already in force by S.I. 1994/571, art. 3

Marginal Citations

M1 1973 c. 41.

F36 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E+W+S

Textual Amendments

F36 S. 5 repealed (1.2.2001) by 2000 c. 38, s. 274, Sch. 31, Pt. IV; S.I. 2001/57, art. 3(1), Sch. 2 Pt. I (subject to savings and transitional provisions in Sch. 2 Pt. II)