Railways Act 1993

35 Termination and variation of section 20(2) agreements by the Franchising Director

(1) This section applies in any case where services for the time being provided under a section 20(2) agreement by the Board or a wholly owned subsidiary of the Board have been designated under section 23(1) above as eligible for provision under a franchise agreement.

(2) If, in a case where this section applies, a franchise agreement is entered into in respect of all the services for the time being provided under the section 20(2) agreement, the Franchising Director shall serve a notice on the parties to the section 20(2) agreement terminating that agreement on such date (“the termination date”) as may be specified in the notice.

(3) Where notice is served under subsection (2) above, the parties to the section 20(2) agreement—

(a) shall be taken to have agreed to terminate that agreement on the termination date, and

(b) shall accordingly be released from the performance of their obligations under that agreement after that date,

and the section 20(2) agreement shall not have effect after the termination date, except so far as relating to anything done, or required to be done, pursuant to the agreement on or before that date.

(4) If, in a case where this section applies, a franchise agreement is entered into in respect of some, but not all, of the services for the time being provided under the section 20(2) agreement, the Franchising Director may serve a notice on the parties to the section 20(2) agreement varying the terms of that agreement.

(5) Where notice is served under subsection (4) above—

(a) the parties to the section 20(2) agreement shall be taken to have agreed to a variation of the section 20(2) agreement such that the services to be provided under the franchise agreement shall, after such date as may be specified in the notice, no longer be provided under the section 20(2) agreement; and

(b) the section 20(2) agreement shall have effect with such further modifications which are necessary to give effect to, or are consequential on, the variation referred to in paragraph (a) above as the parties may agree or, in default of agreement, as may be determined on a reference to arbitration.

(6) For the purposes of subsection (5)(b) above—

(a) either party to the section 20(2) agreement may refer the matter in dispute to arbitration after giving the other not less than fourteen days' notice of his intention to do so; and

(b) if the parties are unable to agree on the appointment of a person as the arbitrator, either of them, after giving the other not less than fourteen days' notice of his intention to do so, may by notice request the Franchising Director to appoint a person as the arbitrator.

(7) Where a section 20(2) agreement is terminated or varied by virtue of this section, the Passenger Transport Executive in question shall not have power to enter into another such agreement for the provision of the services which are to be provided under the franchise agreement referred to in subsection (2) or (4) above (as the case may be) without the consent of the Franchising Director.

(8) Where a section 20(2) agreement has been entered into, but services have not begun to be provided under it, this section shall have effect in relation to the services which are to be provided as it has effect in relation to services for the time being provided under a section 20(2) agreement.

(9) Any reference in this section to an arbitrator shall, in Scotland, be taken as a reference to an arbiter.

(10) In this section, “section 20(2) agreement” has the same meaning as it has in section 33 above.