Explanatory Notes

Railways Act 2005

2005 CHAPTER 14

7 April 2005

Commentary on Sections and Schedules

Part 6: General and Supplemental

Supplemental

Section 60: Short title, commencement and extent

186.Section 60(2) provides for the Secretary of State to make commencement orders which will bring the provisions in the Act into force. The Secretary of State may make more than one such order, and may bring into force different provisions on different dates.

187.Section 60(3) enables the Secretary of State to make such an order as he thinks fit which would make additional legislation to deal with the way in which in the parts of the Act dealing with Network Modifications, or the repeal of sections of the 1993 Act relating to closures, are brought into force. It also enables the Secretary of State to make transitional provisions via an order in connection with the bringing into force of Section 21 which relates to the abolition of the Rail Passengers' Committees.

188.Section 60(5) provides that section 13 on the Railway functions of Passenger Transport Executives, and section 39 on Quality contracts schemes in connections with closures, extend only to England and Wales.

189.Section 60(6) provides that the Act will not apply in Northern Ireland.

190.Section 60Subsections (2) to (5) enable the Secretary of State to make a scheme to modify existing railway licences and licence exemptions, granted under sections 8 and 7(3) of the Railways Act 1993, where necessary in consequence of certain provisions in the Act. The relevant provisions are set out in subsection (3) and include, for example, provisions that transfer consumer protection licensing functions from the SRA to the ORR.