Britain's high speed rail line to be regulated

Date: 30/10/2009

Britain's only high speed rail line will be regulated shortly, according to the regulatory body.

The Office of Rail Regulation confirmed that High Speed 1 regulations were handed down from the government.

The use of High Speed 1, which consists of the rail link between London St. Pancras station and the Channel Tunnel, will require pre-approval of track access by train operators, a review every five years, and oversight of effectiveness of management.

ORR chief executive Bill Emery said: "We will work with neighbouring regulators and infrastructure managers to develop the Channel Tunnel corridor as a whole."

He added that the regulatory body was committed to supporting HS1 passenger and freight operations.

The ORR expects the regulatory model will reflect the existing set-up with Network Rail as a separate entity in the UK.