Railways Act 2005

Railways Act 2005

2005 CHAPTER 14

Commentary on Sections and Schedules

Part 2: Public Sector Funding Authorities for Railways

Passenger Transport Executives

Section 13: Railway functions of Passenger Transport Executives

80. Subsection (1) provides that the Secretary of State must consult a Passenger Transport Executive in England before issuing an invitation to tender for or, where he does not invite tenders, entering into a franchise agreement which includes services where that Passenger Transport Executive have an interest.

81. Subsection (2) defines the services in which a Passenger Transport Executive has an interest. These are railway passenger services within a PTE's area or railway passenger services to or from a PTE area.

82. Subsection (3) enables a Passenger Transport Executive in England to enter into arrangements with the Secretary of State whereby the PTE can make payments to the Secretary of State that relate to railway passenger services, station services or bus substitution services provided within the PTE’s area and/or the Secretary of State can use his powers in relation to those services within the PTE’s area in a particular way. This would for example enable the parties to agree for the Secretary of State to secure additional railway passenger services under the franchise agreement which the PTE would fund. "Bus substitution service" is defined in Schedule 11 Paragraph 11(b) of the Act.

83. Subsection (4) enables Passenger Transport Executives in England to enter into agreements directly with Train Operating Companies who are rail franchisees and franchise operators in connection with railway passenger services and related station services within the PTE’s area.

84. Subsection (5) specifies that Passenger Transport Executives in England need to obtain the approval of the Secretary of State before entering into agreements with franchisees or franchise operators (or anyone who proposes to be one). This requirement applies whether the PTE is relying on its powers under subsection (4) or any of its other powers (such as its general powers under section 10 of the Transport Act 1968 (c.73)).

85. Subsection (6) enables the Secretary of State to give approval to agreements for the purposes of subsection (5) under either a general approval (approving a class of agreements such as agreements relating to a specified issue) or a specific approval (for a particular individual agreement). It also enables the Secretary of State to withdraw any approval which he may give in relation to an agreement at any stage up to the point that the agreement is entered into.

86. Subsection (7) confirms that the agreements that a Passenger Transport Executive in England may, with the approval of the Secretary of State, enter into include rail franchise agreements which comprise or which include services within their passenger transport area.

87. Subsection (8) specifies that the Secretary of State and a Passenger Transport Executive in England must provide information to each other which has been reasonably requested by the other for the purposes of undertaking their functions with respect to railways or railway services. Subsection 8(b) provides that this duty is limited to a duty to share information which the disclosing body may lawfully disclose (i.e., the information is not covered by a contractual or statutory prohibition on disclosure).