The Railways Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Appeals in respect of allocation of infrastructure capacity or the charging of fees

12.—(1) A railway undertaking aggrieved by a decision of the NI allocation body under regulation 9 or 10 for the allocation of railway infrastructure capacity or the charging of infrastructure fees may appeal against that decision.

(2) In the case of a decision to refuse an application, such notice shall be given by the applicant within twenty-one days of being informed of the decision.

(3) In the case of a decision to grant an application, such notice shall be given within two months of the publication of the particulars of any agreement made pursuant to the decision in the Official Journal of the European Communities in accordance with paragraph (15) of regulation 9 (including that paragraph as applied by paragraph (5) of regulation 10).

(4) On receiving a notice of appeal under paragraph (2), the NI allocation body shall refer the appeal to a panel consisting of three members of whom –

(a) two shall be members with suitable experience nominated one each by the NI allocation body and the appellant;

(b) one shall be a Senior Counsel nominated by the two members referred to in sub-paragraph (a).

(5) Any railway undertaking that refers a decision to the appeal panel under paragraph (1) shall at the same time provide a statement of the reasons why it is aggrieved by the decision.

(6) The appeal panel shall, within seven days of receiving such a notice and a statement of reasons, send a copy thereof to the NI allocation body, the infrastructure manager and the international grouping or railway undertaking concerned.

(7) Any person notified under paragraph (6) may, within twenty-one days of receiving such a copy, make such representations as he considers appropriate to the appeal panel concerning the decision to which the notice relates and the statement of reasons.

(8) The appeal panel shall reach a determination on a reference made under this regulation within two months of the date of receiving all relevant information (including any information provided pursuant to paragraph (13)) to enable it to determine the reference.

(9) On disposing of a reference under this regulation the appeal panel may decide that the allocation body’s decision should stand, be reversed or be modified.

(10) Where the decision of the appeal panel requires the modification of any agreement made pursuant to the allocation body’s decision or the grant of rights where an application has been refused it may give such directions as it thinks fit for that purpose and the infrastructure manager and railway undertaking concerned shall be under a duty to comply with and give effect to any such directions.

(11) The appeal panel shall not make a decision requiring the grant of rights by the infrastructure manager or the modification of rights granted by the infrastructure manager unless it is satisfied that the grant would not involve the breach by the infrastructure manager of the duty imposed by paragraph (3) of regulation 8 or of any direction given by the NI allocation body pursuant to paragraph (4) of that regulation.

(12) If on a reference to the appeal panel under the preceding provisions of this regulation a question arises as to any matter which may, in the opinion of the appeal panel, have safety implications, the appeal panel shall refer the question to the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland whose opinion on the question shall be taken into account by the appeal panel.

(13) It shall be the duty of any railway undertaking, the infrastructure manager and the allocation body to provide the appeal panel with such information as may reasonably be required for the purpose of determining a reference to it under this regulation.