The Secretary of State may by order made under the Channel Tunnel Rail Link Act 1996 (“the 1996 Act”) specify who is a nominated undertaker in relation to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (now usually called the High Speed 1 railway). This Order provides that HS1 Limited is the nominated undertaker for the purposes specified in article 3. HS1 Limited was previously named Union Railways (North) Limited.

Article 4 revokes the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (Nomination) Order 1999 (“the 1999 Order”). The 1999 Order specified Union Railways (North) Limited and CTRL (UK) Limited as nominated undertakers for purposes specified in the 1999 Order; the effect of the 1999 Order being that one or other of the two companies (or, for some shared matters, each company) was a nominated undertaker for matters within the scope of the 1999 Order. The purposes that were covered by the 1999 Order are consolidated in article 3 of this Order so that HS1 Limited is the sole nominated undertaker for those purposes.

Article 5 deals with the transfer of rights and liabilities of CTRL (UK) Limited, connected to its former role as a nominated undertaker under the 1996 Act, to HS1 Limited.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no impact on the costs of business, the public sector, third sector organisations, regulators or consumers is foreseen.