Become a Public Member
Who can be a Member?
Our Members are drawn from the rail industry and the general public and include:
- Rail Industry Members – every organisation that holds a licence to operate on the railway or is a preferred bidder for a railway franchise is automatically entitled to become a Member. Industry Members include passenger and freight operating companies, and rail engineering firms.
- Public Members – individuals drawn from a cross-section of the public (and some organisations). They are appointed by the Board following a process of selection and subject to recommendation by an independent Membership Selection Panel.
- The Department for Transport (DfT) is also a Member.
Policy and Procedure for Selection and Appointment of Public Members
Our Members
Network Rail does not have shareholders – instead we have Members.
The Members hold the Board to account for their management of the business and monitor their standards of corporate governance.
Who are the Members?
Our Members are drawn from the rail industry and general public. They do not have any financial or economic interest in the company. This means that they do not receive dividends, share capital or any other form of payment from Network Rail, except for travel expenses.
What do they do?
Members perform a similar role to shareholders in a plc. This means that they review the performance of Network Rail against its commercial and other targets as well as industry benchmarks for its provision, maintenance and management of the railway infrastructure.
It is their duty to act in the best interests of the business without personal bias. They do not make any strategic decisions themselves but hold the Board to account for its management of the company. In particular they seek assurance from the Board that the necessary processes are in place and are being implemented to maintain high standards of corporate governance.
How do they monitor the business?
They monitor the way that Network Rail runs its business by:
- Receiving the annual report and accounts
- Attending the company's annual general meeting
- Approving the appointment or re-appointment of Network Rail's directors and auditors.