About Reckon > Economic regulation > Rail

Rail

We have in-depth knowledge of the mainline railway sector in Great Britain.

We also take an interest in the regulation of the underground and tramway operations, as well as the application of competition law to the rail and bus sector.

We maintain a rolling review of rail and bus news and developments relevant to our work.

Main contacts for work on rail

Contact: Franck Latrémolière

Contact: Nicholas Francis

Overview of our rail work

Our main service areas for the railway industry are:

the application of competition law;
the reviews of price controls;
the regulation of access contracts and pricing;
franchising agreements.

We have experience of engaging with industry parties at the detailed and operational level. We can procure and manage railway operational or technical advice where necessary.

Competition law in rail

We have experience of competition law enforcement (particularly exclusionary and exploitative abuses under Article 82), merger control and market studies in the railway sector.

Experience: Competition enforcement secondment (2006)

Experience: Rail merger (2006)

Experience: Rolling stock market study (2007)

Railway infrastructure price controls

Our skills in estimating future expenditure requirements for price control purposes apply to the railway sector.

Price controls

Efficiency studies

Franck Latrémolière has experience of adapting productivity trend analyses to the specificities of railway infrastructure regulation in Great Britain, including adjustments for capital intensity and for the historical reliance on contracting-out.

Access to railway facilities

We are familiar with the main features of track access agreements and with detailed aspects of the ORR model clauses.

Our staff's experience includes:

advice on the structure of access charges;
advice on the ring-fencing of the infrastructure controller;
the liability regime in track access agreements; and
possible arrangements for compensating train operators for compulsory reductions in their access rights or protection from competition.

Experience: Structure of rail access charges (2004)