Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003
| Act of Parliament | |
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| Long title | An Act to make provision about railways, including tramways; to make provision about transport safety; and for connected purposes. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 2003 c. 20 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 July 2003 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 (c. 20) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.
Provisions
The purposes of the act[2] include:
- the creation of the Rail Accident Investigation Branch[3]
- the replacement of the Rail Regulator by an independent regulator funded by the government rather than the rail industry, the Office of Rail Regulation. [4]
- the creation of a police authority for the British Transport Police (BTP)[5]
- allowing the BTP to recruit police community support officers (PCSO) under the Police Reform Act 2002 which previously only extended to territorial police forces[6]
- giving the BTP "statutory authority over the railway"
- the introduction of alcohol limits on the crews of water-borne vessels and aircraft in line with those already existing for railway staff[7]
- other miscellaneous matters affecting railway, air and road transport
The act facilitated the transfer of the London Underground to Transport for London.[8]
Extent
The Act extends to the whole United Kingdom but with exceptions for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Repeals and amendments
Schedule 8[9] makes a number of amendments to other Acts but does not repeal any Acts entirely.
See also
References
- ^ The citation of this Act by this short title is authorised by section 122 of this Act.
- ^ Explanatory Notes to the Act
- ^ "GOVERNMENT MOVES TO IMPROVE TRANSPORT SAFETY". Local Government Chronicle. 14 January 2003. Archived from the original on 8 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003". cms-lawnow.com. 22 July 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Mulholland, Hélène (4 June 2004). "Anger as 150 rail police face axe". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 February 2026.
- ^ "Police Community Support Officers - at the heart of our communities". British Transport Police. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ "BA drug and alcohol tests begin". BBC News. 31 July 2004. Archived from the original on 10 January 2026. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ "Tube handover date confirmed". The Guardian. 4 June 2003. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Schedule 8 of the Act
External links
- The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, as amended from the National Archives.
- The Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, as originally enacted from the National Archives.
- Explanatory notes to the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003.