Heathrow Express Railway Act 1991

41Transport consultative committees

(1)Sections 54 and 56 of the [1962 c. 46.] Transport Act 1962 and section 54 of the [1968 c. 73.] Transport Act 1968 shall not apply to services and facilities provided wholly or partly on the lines comprising Works Nos. 1A to 5 and 7A to 8B or at or from the stations authorised by section 7 of this Act.

(2)On the opening of those works for passenger services it shall be the duty of the London Regional Passengers' Committee to consider and, where it appears to them to be desirable, make recommendations with respect to any matter affecting the services and facilities provided on the lines comprising those works or at those stations—

(a)which has been the subject of representations (other than representations appearing to the committee to be frivolous) made to the committee by or on behalf of users of those services or facilities; or

(b)which has been referred to the committee by the Secretary of State or by the Company or the Board; or

(c)which appears to the committee to be a matter to which consideration ought to be given;

and copies of the minutes, conclusions and recommendations of the committee shall be sent to the Company and the Board and to the central committee (as defined in section 56 of the said Act of 1962).

(3)Nothing in subsection (2) above shall entitle the London Regional Passengers' Committee to consider the charges made for any service or facility, or to consider any question relating to the discontinuance or reduction of railway services.

(4)(a)If the Company propose the discontinuance of all railway passenger services on the lines comprising those works or at or from those stations, they shall, not less than six months before carrying the proposal into effect, give to the Secretary of State notice of that proposal.

(b)Upon receipt of such notice the Secretary of State shall consider, having consulted the London Regional Passengers' Committee and such other persons or bodies as he may think fit, what measures, if any, he should in all the circumstances take.