Your Questions Answered

Which activities interface with the network?
A utility company laying a pipeline under a railway line; construction works on adjacent land or roads; cables and bridges under or over the railway tracks; a jib of a crane reaching across our property; hoardings around Network Rail land – these projects may not materially change the network, but nevertheless may require engineering and safety requirements and contractual engagements to deal with the different types of rules associated with such project interfaces.

Who are outside parties?
Outside parties include the Highways Agency, local authorities, utility companies, consulting engineers, property developers, commercial enterprises, adjacent landowners and many other organisations.

There are more than 1,600 outside party schemes each year that impact upon Network Rail, including over 100 involving building bridges.

What are HAUCs and RAUCs?
These are committees that provide forums for all professional organisations involved in street works, to discuss common issues and resolve any difficulties. Through these forums, Network Rail has developed working relationships with over 200 local Highway Authorities and more than 250 utility companies.

Network Interface

You may own adjacent land, or need to build facilities, transport or infrastructure, or place utility apparatus, on or near to the rail network

If you do, then we need a close working relationship. An integral part of Network Rail’s role is to manage the activities of outside parties who want to carry out works on or near to the railway, or to build bridges under or over our land or where that activity impacts in some way upon the national rail network.

Managing potential risk to the network

All work of this nature, no matter how small, can potentially impose risk to the operational railway or damage our infrastructure. And vice-versa. The railway environment is a potentially dangerous one for you to work alongside and can impact upon your works. We would be pleased to explain these risks to you

Within Civil Engineering Network Rail has a team of Outside Party Engineers (see UK map of territories, showing post codes) that is dedicated to providing advice to anyone who is planning activities on or near the railway. Our Outside Party Engineers can address a multitude of tasks, including neighbouring construction sites, maintenance of property work near level crossings etc., to assess the potential impact of your project. They can give you guidance – on site, at a meeting, through correspondence or with booklets – to clarify whether your proposed project poses a risk to the rail network.

Works activity in the street

A Highways Interface Advisor works alongside the Outside Party Engineers in each territory (see map), providing specialist advice relating to works activity in the street. The Highways Interface Advisor deals with the technical and administrative issues arising from the New Roads and Street Works Act (NRSWA) 1991 and related legislation. Their duties cover such issues as the Exchange of Works information and the provision and maintenance of information for the National Street Gazetteer. They also represent Network Rail on Highways Authorities and Utilities Committees (HAUCs) in England and Wales and Roads Authorities and Utilities Committees (RAUCs) in Scotland.

Any consultation required under NRSWA should be directed to the Outside Party Engineers, as should any apparatus enquiries or plant information requests.

All works notices under NRSWA should be issued through the normal channels - EToN (Electronic Transfer of Notices) in England and Wales and the SRWR (Scottish Road Works Register) in Scotland.

What we don’t do:

Outside Party Engineers DO NOT deal with:

  • Emergencies: in this event, please call the National Helpline on 08457 11 41 41
  • Town & Country Planning, property sales, lettings or easements negotiations. These activities are handled by Commercial Property.

Help us to help you

To assist in progressing your enquiry more effectively, please provide as much information as possible by downloading, completing and then forwarding an enquiry questionnaire. Reference to the UK map of territories will help you to contact us by identifying the appropriate Outside Party Engineer. We will endeavour to respond to you within five working days, however, should you find an unreasonable time has passed without reply then please contact: Andy Bellwood, Infrastructure Protection Manager, Network Rail, 4th Floor, 40 Melton Street, London, NW1 2EE or by e-mail Andy.Bellwood@networkrail.co.uk.