{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/railways-interoperability-miscellaneous-amendments-and-revocations-eu-exit-regulations-2020/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/railways-interoperability-miscellaneous-amendments-and-revocations-eu-exit-regulations-2020/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2020/318",
  "legislation_title": "The Railways (Interoperability) (Miscellaneous Amendments and Revocations) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/railways-interoperability-miscellaneous-amendments-and-revocations-eu-exit-regulations-2020",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "(This note is not part of the Regulations)\nThese Regulations are made in exercise of the powers conferred by section 8(1) of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (c.16) in order to address failures of retained EU law to operate effectively and other deficiencies (in particular under section 8(2)(a), (b), (c), (d) and (g) and paragraph 21 of Schedule 7) arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. The amendments set out in regulation 2 are made in exercise of powers conferred by section 247 of the Transport Act 2000 which is being used to update out of date cross-references.\nThese Regulations make amendments in relation to the regulation of railways in the United Kingdom and in particular, the interoperability of the rail system. The interoperability regime sets out the standards that have to be met. Before the IP completion day, Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs) set out the technical and operational standards which must be met by vehicles or components to satisfy the essential requirements, such as safety, reliability and availability, health, environmental protection, technical compatibility and accessibility. After the IP completion day these standards and performance levels will be set out in the new United Kingdom regime of National Technical Specification Notices (“NTSNs”).\nPart 2 makes amendments to domestic secondary legislation already made in anticipation of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.\nRegulation 2 and regulation 5 amend the Railways (Interoperability) Regulations 2011 and the Railway (Interoperability) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 to ensure that the United Kingdom’s interoperability regime functions correctly after the transition period following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. Regulation 5 also corrects certain errors in that instrument.\nRegulation 3 amends the Rail Passengers’ Rights and Obligations (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 to replace references to TSIs with references to the relevant NTSNs.\nRegulation 4 amends the Train Driving Licences and Certificates (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 to correct certain errors in that instrument. References to TSIs are also replaced with references to the relevant NTSN which will apply after IP completion day.\nRegulation 6 amends the Rail Safety (Amendment etc) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 to replace an out-of-date reference in the definition of “common safety methods” to ensure that the correct Commission Implementing Regulation is referenced.\nPart 3 amends retained direct EU legislation to correct deficiencies in two principal items of tertiary legislation relating to vehicle registers and registers for railway infrastructure and to ensure that the legislation can continue to function in the United Kingdom after IP completion day.\nPart 4 revokes retained direct EU legislation listed in Schedule 2 and amends Annex XIII to the Agreement on the European Economic Area.\nThe NTSNs applying in the United Kingdom will be published on the gov.uk website after the end of the transition period. Draft copies of the NTSN can currently be found at https://www.rssb.co.uk/en/Standards-and-Safety/Using-Standards/Understanding-and-Applying-Standards/National-Technical-Specification-Notices-NTSNs. At the end of the transition period hard copies of the NTSNs will be available on request from the Department for Transport, Interoperability Team, Zone 4/26, Great Minster House, London, SW1P 4DR or by emailing interoperability@dft.gov.uk.\nAn impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private or voluntary sector is seen.\nAn Explanatory Memorandum is published alongside the instrument on www.legislation.gov.uk.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/318/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T22:32:03.990374+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}