Claim: By the Railways Act of 1993, the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising was a role created to sell passenger rail franchises to the private sector, but was replaced in 2001 by the Strategic Rail Authority, which ended up being abolished in 2006 and taken over by the Secretary of State for Transport (John MacGregor, a member of the conservative Party).
Evidence: The legislation created a new regulatory regime for the railways, with the establishment of the Rail Regulator (dealing with the monopoly and dominant elements of the industry, principally Railtrack (now Network Rail)) and the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising, whose role was to sell passenger rail franchises to the private sector. The Director of Passenger Rail Franchising was replaced in 2001 by the Strategic Rail Authority. When the SRA was abolished in 2006 franchising were taken over by the Secretary of State for Transport. The legislation enabled the Secretary of State for Transport John MacGregor to transfer separated parts of the railway to the private sector. A member of the Conservative Party, he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for South Norfolk from 1974 to 2001.