Directive 2012/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 establishing a single European railway area (recast) - available in different European Union languages. The Directive entered into force 15 December 2012 and needs to be transposed until 16 June 2015. It establishes a mandated track access regime for third-party railway operators.

Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Part III A – “Access to Services”) – Part III A of the Act establishes an open access regime for essential facilities, which includes railway infrastructure. Railway infrastructure is subject to regulation if it has been “declared” by ministerial decision. The open access regime grants third parties a right to negotiate access to “declared services.” The Act sets out rules on the preparation and approval of access undertakings, the negotiation of access agreements and dispute resolution in the event the parties cannot agree on the conditions for access. 

Queensland Competition Authority Act 1997 (Part 5 “Access to Services”) – The Act establishes a regulatory framework for third-party access to “significant infrastructure” providing services including railway infrastructure. The elements of this framework are similar to the national open access regime. The regulatory regime applies if a service has been “declared” by ministerial decision. The regime grants third parties a right to negotiate access to “declared services”. If the parties are unable to agree on the terms of access, either can refer the matter to the regulator (Queensland Competition Authority). The Act sets out rules for the negotiation of access agreements, dispute resolution and the preparation and approval of access undertakings.

 

General Railway Law (Allgemeines Eisenbahngesetz – AEG) (German) – The AEG establishes the general framework for licensing, access to railway infrastructure, access charges, capacity allocation and sets out the competences of the regulatory authority.

 

Concession agreement between the Secretary of State for Transport and High Speed 1 Limited (HS 1 Limited). The agreement regards the design, construction, financing, operation, repair and maintenance of the high-speed railway link from St. Pancras Station in London to the Channel Tunnel that connects with the international high-speed routes between London and Paris, and London and Brussels. 

 

Model Track Access Agreements provided by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) regarding the main railway infrastructure in the United Kingdom that is managed and operated by Network Rail Infrastructure Limited (Network Rail).

 

 

The Central Queensland Coal Network is operated and managed by Aurizon Network Pty Ltd (Aurizon). It is the largest coal rail network in Australia and comprises four major coal systems (Blackwater, Moura, Goonyella, Newlands). The heavy haul rail infrastructure is used almost exclusively for mine to port transport.