Post Office Act 1953

33Power to require provision of regular mail trains

(1)The Postmaster-General may by notice in writing require any railway undertakers, as from the day specified in the notice (being not less than twenty-eight days from the service thereof), to convey either by ordinary trains or, if necessary, by special trains, at such times as the Postmaster-General may direct, all mail bags tendered to the undertakers, together with any officers of the Post Office accompanying those mail bags.

(2)Any railway undertakers on whom any such notice is served shall, as from the day specified therein, provide at their own cost such vehicles attached to ordinary trains, or, as the case may be, such special trains, as may be sufficient for the conveyance of mail bags to the satisfaction of the Postmaster-General (in this Act referred to as " regular mail trains ") and shall in all respects comply with the notice, and shall receive, take up, deliver and leave any such mail bags and officers of the Post Office as aforesaid at such places on the railway, on such days, at such times in the day, and subject to all such reasonable requirements and restrictions as to speed of travelling, places, times and duration of stoppages, and times of arrival, as the Postmaster-General may from time to time direct.

(3)The rate of speed of any regular mail train shall not be altered unless six months' notice of the intended alteration has been given to the Postmaster-General.

(4)Notwithstanding anything in the two last foregoing subsections, a regular mail train shall not be required to travel at any time on any part of a railway at a speed in excess of the maximum speed for the time being prescribed by the railway undertakers for the safe running of trains on that part of the railway.