Railways Act 2005
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to amend the law relating to the provision and regulation of railway services; and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2005 c. 14 |
| Territorial extent |
|
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 7 April 2005 |
| Commencement | various[c] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | |
| Amended by | |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Railways Act 2005 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Railways Act 2005[a] (c. 14) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning the regulatory structure for railways in the United Kingdom. The main changes included the abolition of the Strategic Rail Authority and the reduction of the number of passenger franchises on the National Rail network.
Overview
The bill was introduced and published on 25 November 2004 and received royal assent on 7 April 2005. The act made certain reforms, principally:[1]
- Abolished the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), transferring its functions to the Secretary of State, the Office of Rail Regulation, the Scottish Government, and the Mayor of London;[2][3]
- Transferred certain responsibilities from the Health and Safety Executive to the Office of Rail Regulation;[3]
- Reduced the number of passenger franchises;[3]
- Increased the breadth of Network Rail's responsibilities;[1]
- Established the Rail Passengers Council (later known as Passenger Focus).[4]
Reception
The act was described alongside the Transport (Wales) Act 2006 as the largest transfer of powers to the Assembly between 1999 and 2007 in Contemporary Wales.[5]
Orders made under section 60
The following orders have been made under this section:
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1444 (C. 64))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1909 (C. 82))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/2252 (C. 94))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/2812 (C. 117))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/266 (C. 7))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/1951 (C. 65))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 7, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/2911 (C. 102))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 8) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/62 (C. 2))
- The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 9) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1993 (C. 74))
Notes
References
- ^ a b Bolt, Chris (May 2005). Annual Report 2004–2005 (Report). Office of Rail Regulation. p. 5.
- ^ "BRITAIN'S RAILWAY STATIONS 'UNFIT FOR 21st CENTURY'". Local Government Chronicle. 31 August 2025. Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "Ministers tighten grip on railways". BBC News. 15 July 2004. Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "NEW CHAIR APPOINTED TO THE RAIL PASSENGERS COUNCIL". Local Government Chronicle. 28 September 2005. Archived from the original on 10 December 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ Bradbury, Jonathan; Stafford, Ian (1 March 2010). "The effectiveness of legislative mechanisms for the devolution of powers in the UK: the case of transport devolution to Wales". Public Money & Management. 30 (2): 97–102. doi:10.1080/09540961003665511. ISSN 0954-0962 – via Taylor & Francis.
Further reading
- "Railways Act 2005". Current Law Statutes 2005. Sweet & Maxwell. London. W Green. 2005. Volume 1. Chapter 14. pp 14-1 to 14-119.
External links
Media related to Railways Act 2005 at Wikimedia Commons
- Text of the Railways Act 2005 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
- Text of the Railways Act 2005 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
- Summary from Department for Transport