The Railways (Access, Management and Licensing of Railway Undertakings) Regulations 2016

Capacity analysis

27.—(1) Where required in accordance with regulation 26(4), the infrastructure manager must carry out a capacity analysis of the congested infrastructure in order to identify the reasons for the congestion and the measures which might be taken in the short and medium term to ease that congestion.

(2) In conducting the capacity analysis, and in order to identify the reasons for the congestion, the infrastructure manager must consider the—

(a) characteristics of the congested infrastructure;

(b) operating procedures used on that railway infrastructure; and

(c) characteristics of the different rail services which have been allocated capacity to operate on that railway infrastructure.

(3) In seeking to determine measures to alleviate congestion the infrastructure manager must consider, in particular—

(a) re-routing of services;

(b) re-timing of services;

(c) alterations to the line-speed; and

(d) railway infrastructure improvements.

(4) The infrastructure manager must consult the Secretary of State and, where any part of the capacity analysis relates to railway infrastructure in Scotland, the Scottish Ministers, during the preparation of the capacity analysis.

(5) The infrastructure manager must complete the capacity analysis within six months from the date on which the railway infrastructure is declared to be congested in accordance with regulation 26(1) or (2) and make the findings of the analysis available to the parties described in regulation 26(3).