{{Multiple issues| {{Verify|date=November 2011}} {{External links|date=October 2022}} }} {{Short description|Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}} {{Use British English|date=January 2018}} {{Infobox UK legislation |short_title=Railways Act 2005{{efn|name=st|Section 60(1).}} |type= Act |parliament= Parliament of the United Kingdom |long_title=An Act to amend the law relating to the provision and regulation of railway services; and for connected purposes. |year=2005 |citation=2005 c. 14 |territorial_extent={{ubli|England and Wales|Scotland (except sections 13 and 39 and 52)}}{{efn|Section 60(5)–(6).}} |royal_assent=7 April 2005 |commencement=various{{efn|Section 60(2)–(4).}} |repeal_date= |amends={{ubli|Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002}} |amendments= |related_legislation= |repealing_legislation= |status= Amended |original_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/14/contents/enacted |revised_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/14/contents |use_new_UK-LEG=yes }}

The '''Railways Act 2005'''{{efn|name=st}} (c. 14) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning the regulatory structure for railways in the United Kingdom.

== Overview ==

The bill was introduced and published on 25 November 2004 and received royal assent on 7 April 2005. The act made certain reforms, principally:

* Abolished the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), transferring some of its functions to the Secretary of State, some (consumer protection ones) to the Office of Rail Regulation, and some to the Scottish Government and some to the Mayor of London.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-08-31 |title=BRITAIN’S RAILWAY STATIONS ‘UNFIT FOR 21st CENTURY’ |url=https://www.lgcplus.com/archive/britains-railway-stations-unfit-for-21st-century-20-07-2005/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250831171648/https://www.lgcplus.com/archive/britains-railway-stations-unfit-for-21st-century-20-07-2005/ |archive-date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=Local Government Chronicle}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=2004-07-15 |title=Ministers tighten grip on railways |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3894791.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150407095135/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3894791.stm |archive-date=2015-04-07 |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=BBC News}}</ref> * Transferred certain responsibilities from the Health and Safety Executive to the Office of Rail Regulation.<ref name=":0" /> * Reduced the number of franchises.<ref name=":0" /> * Reduced the financial jurisdiction of the Office of Rail Regulation, imposing a Treasury-determined cap on its financial powers and requiring the Secretary of State for Transport to specify what he wants in return for the public subsidy which goes into the railway industry. * Established the Rail Passengers Council (later known as Passenger Focus).<ref>{{Cite news |date=2005-09-28 |title=NEW CHAIR APPOINTED TO THE RAIL PASSENGERS COUNCIL |url=https://www.lgcplus.com/archive/new-chair-appointed-to-the-rail-passengers-council-28-09-2005/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250831170900/https://www.lgcplus.com/archive/new-chair-appointed-to-the-rail-passengers-council-28-09-2005/ |archive-date=2025-08-31 |access-date=2025-08-31 |work=Local Government Chronicle}}</ref> * Set up a new regime for the closure of railway facilities and services.

== Reception == The act was described alongside the Transport (Wales) Act 2006 as the largest transfer of powers to the Assembly between 1999 and 2007 in ''Contemporary Wales''.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bradbury |first1=Jonathan |last2=Stafford |first2=Ian |date=2010-03-01 |title=The effectiveness of legislative mechanisms for the devolution of powers in the UK: the case of transport devolution to Wales |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/09540961003665511 |journal=Public Money & Management |volume=30 |issue=2 |pages=97–102 |doi=10.1080/09540961003665511 |issn=0954-0962|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Section 60 - Short title, commencement and extent== The following orders have been made under this section: *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1444/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2005] (S.I. 2005/1444 (C. 64)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/1909/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2005] (S.I. 2005/1909 (C. 82)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2252/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 3) Order 2005] (S.I. 2005/2252 (C. 94)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2005/2812/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 4) Order 2005] (S.I. 2005/2812 (C. 117)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/266/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 5) Order 2006] (S.I. 2006/266 (C. 7)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/1951/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 6) Order 2006] (S.I. 2006/1951 (C. 65)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2006/2911/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 7, Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2006] (S.I. 2006/2911 (C. 102)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/62/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 8) Order 2007] (S.I. 2007/62 (C. 2)) *[http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/1993/contents/made The Railways Act 2005 (Commencement No. 9) Order 2007] (S.I. 2007/1993 (C. 74))

== Notes == {{Notelist}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

== Further reading == *"Railways Act 2005". Current Law Statutes 2005. Sweet & Maxwell. London. W Green. 2005. Volume 1. Chapter 14. pp [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780421936805_1/page/1/mode/1up 14-1] to 14-119.

== External links == {{Commonscatinline}} * {{UK-LEG}} * {{UK-LEG|asmade=yes}} * [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/14/notes/contents Explanatory notes] to the Railways Act 2005. * [http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_railways/documents/page/dft_railways_032962.hcsp Summary of key points]

{{UK legislation}} {{Authority control}}

Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 2005 Category:Railway Acts Category:2005 in rail transport Category:Transport policy in the United Kingdom