Background
183.The Secretary of State for Transport has the power to serve instructions (under the Railways Act 1993) on owners and operators of relevant railway assets (networks, stations, light maintenance depots, track or rolling stock) and anyone who provides a railway service. These would detail the security provisions they must implement to protect the travelling public, staff and infrastructure.
184.Revised instructions covering the security of stations are currently being drafted, and are expected to be served on the industry in the summer of 2003. Further instructions covering other aspects of the rail network will be issued through 2003 and 2004. These instructions will give legal force to current security requirements contained in the National Railways Security Programme.
185.It is expected that the instructions will include requirements for the searching of stations, trains and other facilities and screening of baggage at left-luggage facilities.
186.Where the person who is required to comply with the instruction chooses to contract out such security work, the new section will allow the Secretary of State to ensure that only persons approved by him can carry out the work (or train others to carry it out).
187.A similar section in the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, gave the Secretary of State the same listing powers with regard to security providers to the aviation industry. Under the Channel Tunnel Act 1987, similar powers are already available covering the Channel Tunnel industries. The new section will ensure that the Railway industry is consistent with these.