Structure of the railway sector in the United Kingdom

The railway sector with the the United Kingdom is controlled directly by the Gouvernement, via two government organizations, whose operation is governed by various legislative texts (of which the law on the railroads of 1990, the law on the competition of 1998 and the law on transport of 2000), and who receive both of the orientations and the directives of the ministry for transport.

The two organizations pursue the same total goal, each one in its own field of competence. Nevertheless, a clarification and a delimitation of these fields of competence appeared necessary to the use and an agreement was made between them in February 2000.

The SRA (Strategic Rail Authority) is the public agency in charge with the coordination and the strategic planning of the railway sector, and the defender of the interests of the customers and users, travellers and freight. It fixes the strategy for the services of passenger transport and of goods, manages and allots the Concession S of exploitation to the operating companies, and implements the conditions of consumer protection within the framework of conventions of concession. The SRA receives its directives of the ministry for transport ( Secretary off State for Transport ).

The ORR (Office off Rail Regulation) has like main mission of controlling the activity of the administrative railway network, Network Rail, and of negotiating and of allotting the licenses Railway company, then to control the conditions of their exercise. The ORR also receives its directives of the ministry for transport.

Network Rail, which is a private company, but non-profit-making, is charged to manage the infrastructure, i.e. the most important ways, indication and stations. It perceives the royalties of access to the infrastructure, whose amount is fixed by the regulator of Rail (ORR), on behalf of the operating companies, and receives a remuneration complementary in the form of governmental subsidy.

The operating companies ensure the exploitation of the services, including the management of the stations and the terminals goods, and sell their services to the end users, to travellers and to customers goods.

The legal framework of organization of the British railway sector is in the course of révison. It should be noted that the SRA and the ORR entered in conflict on several subjects, in particular that of the priorities in work of modernization of the principal line of the west coast ( West Coast Main Line ) in January 2004. A situation report on the railway sector ordered by the ministry for transport was awaited for July 2004, and one expected that the suppression of the SRA is proposed, which could be integrated in the manager of infrastructure, Network Rail.

See too

External bonds (in English)

  • National Trends Rail 2003-2004 quarter three, from the Strategic Authority Rail.
  • DfT Transport Ten Year Plan 2000 from the U.K. Government Department for Transport.
  • Network Rail - Making has Fresh Start - National To that the Office carryforward, 14th May 2004.

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