Railways Act 1993

30 Failure to secure subsequent franchise agreement

(1) In any case where—

(a) a franchise agreement is terminated or otherwise comes to an end, but

(b) no further franchise agreement has been entered into in respect of services for the carriage of passengers by railway formerly provided under that franchise agreement,

it shall, subject to subsection (3) below, be the duty of the Franchising Director to secure the provision of those services until such time as they again begin to be provided under a franchise agreement.

(2) In any case where a franchise agreement which includes provision in respect of the operation of any additional railway assets is terminated or otherwise comes to an end, but—

(a) no further franchise agreement has been entered into which makes provision in respect of the operation of the additional railway assets formerly operated under or by virtue of that franchise agreement, or

(b) such further franchise agreement as has been entered into in respect of the operation of those additional railway assets makes provision in respect of the operation of some but not all of those additional railway assets,

the Franchising Director shall, subject to subsection (4) below, have the power to secure the operation of any additional railway asset with respect to the operation of which no further franchise agreement has been entered into, until such time as it again begins to be operated under or by virtue of a franchise agreement.

(3) Subsection (1) above does not—

(a) require the Franchising Director to secure the provision of any services, if and to the extent that, in his opinion, adequate alternative railway passenger services are available;

(b) preclude him from giving notice under subsection (5) of section 38 below in relation to any of the services in question, in which case his duty under this section to secure the provision of the services to which the notice relates will (subject to subsections (5) and (6) of that section) terminate on the day specified in the notice in pursuance of paragraph (b) of that subsection; or

(c) preclude him from ceasing to secure the provision of any of the services in question in any case falling within any of paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (2) of that section.

(4) The Franchising Director’s power under subsection (2) above to secure the operation of any additional railway asset shall come to an end—

(a) where the Franchising Director publishes a notice under subsection (5) of section 40 or subsection (4) of section 42 below in respect of the additional railway asset in question, on the date mentioned in paragraph (b) of the subsection in question;

(b) where the Franchising Director discontinues the operation of the additional railway asset in question in circumstances in which he is entitled to do so without notice under or by virtue of subsection (2) of section 40 or 42 below, on the date on which that discontinuance takes place;

(c) where the operator of the additional railway asset in question gives notice to the Franchising Director in respect of that additional railway asset under section 39 or 41 below, on the date specified by the operator pursuant to subsection (4)(b) of section 39 or subsection (3)(b) of section 41 below, as the case may be; or

(d) where the operator of the additional railway asset in question discontinues the operation of that additional railway asset in circumstances in which he is entitled to do so without notice, under or by virtue of subsection (1), (2) or (3) of section 39 or subsection (1) or (2) of section 41 below, on the date on which that discontinuance takes place.