Post Office Act 1953

34 Additional provisions as to regular mail train services

(1) The Postmaster-General may, if he thinks fit, in relation to any regular mail train—

(a) require that the whole of the inside of any vehicle used for the conveyance of mail bags shall be exclusively appropriated for that purpose ;

(b) where the train is a special train, require by notice in writing that the whole of the train shall be appropriated to the service of the Post Office to the exclusion of all other traffic except such as he may sanction.

(2) The Postmaster-General may require any railway undertakers to provide and equip separate vehicles fitted up as the Postmaster-General may direct for the purpose of sorting postal packets therein (in this Act referred to as " sorting carriages"), and the railway undertakers shall attach sorting carriages to such regular mail trains as the Postmaster-General may direct.

(3) Where the Postmaster-General desires to send mail bags, together with any officers of the Post Office accompanying them, by any railway in Her Majesty's vehicles instead of in vehicles provided by the railway undertakers, the railway undertakers shall, at the request of the Postmaster-General, cause those vehicles, together with any officers of the Post Office and mail bags carried therein, to be conveyed by the usual or proper trucks or frames on their railway.

(4) The royal arms shall be painted on the outside of every sorting carriage instead of any other marking prescribed by law in respect of railway vehicles; but the want of the royal arms on any vehicle belonging to or used by the Post Office shall not form an objection to the running of that vehicle on any railway.

(5) For the greater security of mail bags conveyed by regular mail trains, the railway undertakers shall comply with such reasonable directions respecting the conveyance, delivery and leaving of mail bags and officers of the Post Office accompanying them and vehicles used for the conveyance thereof as the Postmaster-General may from time to time give, and the undertakers shall be responsible for any failure on the part of their officers or servants to comply with any such directions:

Provided that no officer of the Post Office shall interfere with or give orders to an engine driver or other person having charge of a railway engine, but if any cause of complaint arises it shall be stated to the officer of the railway undertakers having charge of the train or to the chief officer of the undertakers on duty at any station upon the railway.