Useful Information

See our Code of Practice, which explains how we will deal with customers on the acceptance of rolling stock onto our infrastructure.

New trains recently introduced to the network include:

Midland Mainline Class 222Midland Mainline's Class 222s
Transpennine Express

TransPennine Express' Class 185s

Rolling Stock

Network Rail has clear procedures for the acceptance of rolling stock onto its controlled infrastructure and negotiations for related contracts.

Network Rail uses two acceptance processes:

  • Technical and Safety acceptance, dealt with by the Network Rail Acceptance Panel (NRAP), resulting in a Certificate of Authority to Operate
  • Vehicle Change, which deals with the commercial issues associated with the introduction of new vehicles, or new routes for existing vehicles that results in a new Track Access Agreement (TAA) or an amendment to an existing TAA.

The Network Rail ‘Brown Book’ summarises the Company’s current safety approvals processes for vehicle and route acceptance, giving clarity and structure to the process and enabling our customers to apply that process to their own plans. The acceptance process does not cover commercial issues, which are properly considered under our Code of Practice, nor does it assess an operator’s HM Railway Inspectorate’s Safety Certificate. Under new legislation more responsibility falls to the train operator than was previously the case for the safety assurance of vehicles on the network.