The Road Vehicles (Authorised Weight) and (Construction and Use) (Amendment) Regulations 2017

Exceptions relating to intermodal transport operations

17.—(1) In Schedule 11A, for the heading “Exceptions relating to combined transport operations”, substitute “Exceptions relating to intermodal transport operations”.

(2) In Part II (drawbar combinations), for paragraph 3 substitute—

“3.— (1) The drawing vehicle and trailer must be carrying a relevant receptacle as part of an intermodal transport operation, each such receptacle being on a journey—

(a) to a railhead or water transport terminal from which the relevant receptacle is, as part of the operation, to be transported in a relevant manner by railway or waterborne transport pursuant to a relevant contract made before the journey began; or

(b) from a railhead or water transport terminal to which the relevant receptacle has, as part of the operation, been transported in a relevant manner by railway or waterborne transport.

(2) There must be carried in the cab of the drawing vehicle a document—

(a) if the vehicle is on a journey to a railhead or water transport terminal, specifying the railhead or water transport terminal, the date the relevant contact was made and the parties to that contract;

(b) if the vehicle is on a journey from a railhead or water transport terminal, specifying the railhead or water transport terminal and the date and time at which the receptacles were collected from that railhead or water transport terminal.”.

(3) In Part III (articulated vehicles)—

(a) for paragraph 6(1) substitute—

“6.— (1) The motor vehicle comprised in the articulated vehicle must be being used for the conveyance of a loading unit as part of an intermodal transport operation, the loading unit being on a journey—

(a) to a railhead or water transport terminal from which the loading unit is, as part of the operation, to be transported in a relevant manner by railway or waterborne transport pursuant to a relevant contract made before the journey began; or

(b) from a railhead or water transport terminal to which the loading unit has, as part of the operation, been transported in a relevant manner by railway or waterborne transport.”;

(b) for paragraph 6(4) substitute—

“(4) There must be carried in the cab of the motor vehicle a document—

(a) if the vehicle is on a journey to a railhead or water transport terminal, specifying the railhead or water transport terminal, the date the contract was made and the parties to that contract;

(b) if the vehicle is on a journey from a railhead or water transport terminal, specifying the railhead or water transport terminal and the date and time at which the loading unit was collected from that railhead or water transport terminal.”.

(4) In Part IV (interpretation), paragraph 9(1)—

(a) in the definition of “bi-modal vehicle”, after “railway vehicle”, insert “or for waterborne transport”;

(b) in the definition of “relevant contract”, after “railway”, insert “or waterborne transport”;

(c) at the end of the definition of “road-rail semi-trailer”, insert—

““water transport terminal” means a facility for the transhipment of any of the following—

(a)

a vehicle from the ground or from a railway vehicle onto a waterborne vessel;

(b)

a vehicle from a waterborne vessel onto the ground or onto a railway vehicle;

(c)

a relevant receptacle from the ground or from a road or rail vehicle onto a waterborne vessel;

(d)

a relevant receptacle from a waterborne vessel onto the ground or onto a road or rail vehicle;

(e)

a road-rail semi-trailer from the ground onto a waterborne vessel;  

(f)

a road-rail semi-trailer from a waterborne vessel onto the ground.”.

(5) For paragraph 9(3), substitute—

“(3) In these Regulations, a reference to an intermodal transport operation is a reference to the transport of one or more containers or swap bodies where all of the following conditions are met—

(a) the total maximum length of the containers or swap bodies is no more than 45 feet;

(b) the initial or final leg of the journey uses the road;

(c) another leg of the journey uses rail or waterborne transport;

(d) no goods are added to or removed from the loading unit between the time when the journey begins and when it ends; and

(e) the length of the initial or the final road leg does not exceed 150 km in Great Britain, except where necessary to reach the nearest transport terminal.”.