Dealings with dependent persons
Condition 25 of Network Rail’s network licence requires it to prepare and comply with a code of practice covering its dealings with its dependent customers. A dependent person means any person who has expressed in writing to the licence holder a serious and credible:
- interest in providing or intention to provide; or
- interest in providing or intention to provide finance for or in connection with either or both of:
- services relating to railways; and
- a railway facility or a network, including one which is proposed to be constructed or is in the course of construction.
The Rail Regulator amended the network licence in June 2001 to incorporate this requirement to meet concerns that the network operator (then Railtrack’s, Network Rail’s predecessor)’s relationships with its customers were often unresponsive, inefficient and in other respects unsatisfactory.
Network Rail’s dependent persons code of practice (the "code”) was approved by the Rail Regulator and came into force on 25 June 2003.
The code commits the company to "act with due efficiency and economy and in a timely manner, including in all respects with that degree of skill, diligence and prudence and foresight which should be exercised by a skilled and experienced network facility owner".
This principle together with principles and procedures relating to communication and responsiveness, management of information, and charges and resourcing contained in the code, are being applied to specific categories of Network Rail’s dealings with dependent persons in supplemental sections of the code. These supplemental sections of the code have been submitted to ORR for approval.
