Railways Act 1993

135 Concessionary travel for railway staff etc

(1) The conditions that may be included in a passenger licence include conditions in respect of arrangements for the provision of staff concessionary travel.

(2) The Franchising Director may promote the provision of staff concessionary travel.

(3) The Franchising Director may enter into agreements or other arrangements concerning the provision of staff concessionary travel.

(4) Franchise agreements may include conditions with respect to the provision of staff concessionary travel.

(5) Agreements or arrangements under section 51 or 52 above may include provisions with respect to the provision of staff concessionary travel.

(6) The Franchising Director may perform any of his functions—

(a) under or by virtue of subsections (2) to (5) above, or

(b) under any agreements or arrangements entered into, or conditions or provisions included, by virtue of those subsections,

by entering into agreements or arrangements under which other persons (in this subsection referred to as “sub-contractors”) are to perform the function in question; and subsections (2) and (3) of section 51 above shall apply in relation to agreements or arrangements under this subsection as they apply in relation to agreements or arrangements under subsection (1) of that section, but taking references to sub-contractors, within the meaning of that subsection, as references to sub-contractors, within the meaning of this subsection.

(7) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3) above, the agreements or arrangements that may be made under that subsection include agreements or arrangements under which the Franchising Director undertakes to secure the provision of staff concessionary travel (as well as agreements or arrangements under which some other person undertakes to provide, or to secure the provision of, staff concessionary travel).

(8) Subsection (7) above applies, with the necessary modifications, in relation to—

(a) the conditions mentioned in subsection (4) above, and

(b) the provisions mentioned in subsection (5) above,

as it applies in relation to the agreements and arrangements mentioned in subsection (3) above.

(9) This section is without prejudice to the generality of—

(a) the conditions which may be included in licences, or

(b) the provision which may be made in franchise agreements or in agreements or other arrangements under section 51 or 52 above,

whether or not with respect to free or concessionary travel; and subsections (4) and (5) above are without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3) above.

(10) Any sums required by the Franchising Director for making payments under or by virtue of this section shall be paid by the Secretary of State out of money provided by Parliament.

(11) Any sums received by the Franchising Director under or by virtue of this section shall be paid into the Consolidated Fund.

(12) Any reference in this section to the provision of “staff concessionary travel” is a reference to the provision of free travel, or travel at concessionary rates, for, or for some class or description of, persons, or dependants of persons, who are or have at any time been employed by—

(a) a person carrying on a business of providing railway services; or

(b) a person providing welfare or health care services to persons employed by a person falling within paragraph (a) above.

(13) In the application of subsection (12) above in relation to any such agreement, arrangements, conditions or provisions as are mentioned in this section, it is immaterial whether or not the provision of free travel, or travel at concessionary rates, mentioned in that subsection extends, in the case of the agreement, arrangements, conditions or provisions in question, only to persons falling within that subsection or to such persons and others; and the reference in subsection (2) above to promoting the provision of staff concessionary travel shall be construed accordingly.

(14) Expressions used in this section and in Part I above have the same meaning in this section as they have in that Part.