The Railways Act has today been given Royal Assent.
The Act allows the Government to take charge of setting the strategy for the railway, and to streamline the structure of the rail industry at the national level.
Main provisions include:
Winding up the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), passing some of its functions to the Secretary of State and, in some cases, to the devolved administrations.
Establishing the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) as a combined safety and economic regulator. Responsibilities for railway safety regulation will transfer to ORR from the Health and Safety Commission/Executive.
The Rail Passengers Council (RPC) will be established as a single national body reporting to the Secretary of State and the formal federal structure of the regional committees will be dissolved. As a consequence of the other structural and organisational changes in the Act, it sets out revised procedures for operators and public sector funders to follow when they wish to discontinue all passenger services on a line or from a station or close all or part of a network or station.
Notes to editors
1. The Bill was introduced to Parliament in November 2004 , following the publication of the White Paper 'The Future of Rail' in July 2004.
2. Timing of provisions
In line with Parliamentary procedure, the Government intends that the provisions of the Act will begin to be enacted two months after Royal Assent (from June 2005). Provisions will be enacted progressively from then on, in line with the work underway to deliver organisational changes outside of legislation, to ensure a smooth transition to the new industry structure. The aim is that the majority of provisions will be enacted by the end of 2005.
Territorial extent
The Act extends to England, Scotland and Wales
