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Proposals to replace the complex station access arrangements put in place at the time of privatisation were published today by Tom Winsor, the Rail Regulator.
Today's proposals provide an improved framework for station development. This should meet the needs of a modern railway and support the considerable investment which operators and Shadow Strategic Rail Authority are currently considering as part of the franchise replacement programme.
Introducing the document, which is part of his periodic review of Railtrack's access charges, Tom Winsor said: "Stations provide the passenger's first point of contact with the railway. They are key to general perceptions and the realities of the quality of passenger rail service.
"The existing arrangements for operating, maintaining and renewing stations are more complex than for Railtrack's network assets. The demands on such arrangements are also different. I am therefore overhauling these arrangements to ensure that they meet the current and future needs of the railway industry, in particular those associated with franchise replacement and other significant investment programmes.
This consultation document addresses the charges paid by operators for access to stations and the incentives for all parties to execute their obligations. It also considers the scope for simplification of the contractual arrangements. In September, I intend to publish my final conclusions on the periodic review of Railtrack's access charges and expect other changes to the station access conditions to be introduced before the end of the year. Together these changes will provide the framework for the station improvements required for a modern railway."
Copies of "The periodic review of Railtrack's access charges: Provisional conclusions on station charges and Consultation on the station access regime" and a Lambert Smith Hampton report on the Station Access Regime are available on this site as Acrobat Adobe PDF
