The Railway Byelaws Amendment Order 2025
Source: legislation.gov.uk (2025-12-04)

This Order amends the Railway Byelaws which were made by the Strategic Rail Authority in 2005 under section 219 of and Schedule 20 to the Transport Act 2000.

Statutory Instruments

2025 No. 1258

Transport

The Railway Byelaws Amendment Order 2025

Made

27th November 2025

Coming into force

26th December 2025

The Secretary of State for Transport, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 46(5) of the Railways Act 2005(1 (\"#f00001\")), makes the following Order.

Citation and commencement

1. This Order may be cited as the Railway Byelaws Amendment Order 2025 and comes into force 29 days after the day on which it is made.

Amendment of the Railway Byelaws

2. The Railway Byelaws made under section 219 of the Transport Act 2000(2 (\"#f00002\")) by the Strategic Rail Authority(3 (\"#f00003\")), as amended by the Railway Byelaws Amendment Order 2011(4 (\"#f00004\")) and the Railway Byelaws Amendment Order 2013(5 (\"#f00005\")), are amended in accordance with articles 3 to 20.

Amendment of Byelaw 2

3. In Byelaw 2(1), for “him” substitute “them”.

Amendment of Byelaw 3

4.—(1) Byelaw 3 is amended as follows.

(2) The existing text becomes Byelaw 3(1).

(3) After new Byelaw 3(1), insert—

“(2) No person shall smoke an electronic cigarette or other like device on any part of the railway on or near which there is a notice indicating that smoking is not allowed.”.

Amendment of Byelaw 4

5.—(1) Byelaw 4 is amended as follows.

(2) In Byelaw 4(2), for “with him”, in each place it occurs, substitute “in their possession”.

(3) In Byelaw 4(3)—

(a)omit “with him” in the first place it appears,

(b)after “liquor” in the first place it appears, insert “in their possession”,

(c)in sub-paragraph (i), for “him” substitute “them”,

(d)in sub-paragraph (ii)—

(i)for “him”, in the first place it occurs, substitute “that person”,

(ii)for “he has” substitute “they have”,

(iii)for “with him” substitute “in their possession”.

Amendment of Byelaw 5

6.—(1) Byelaw 5 is amended as follows.

(2) For “he is” substitute “they are”.

(3) For “his” substitute “their”.

Amendment of Byelaw 7

7. In Byelaw 7(3), for “with him” substitute “in their possession”.

Amendment of Byelaw 9

8. In Byelaw 9(3), for “him” substitute “that person”.

Amendment of Byelaw 12

9. In Byelaw 12(2), for “he believes he” substitute “that authorised person believes they”.

Amendment of Byelaw 13

10. In Byelaw 13(1)(ii), for “he” substitute “that person”.

Amendment of Byelaw 14

11.—(1) Byelaw 14 is amended as follows.

(2) Omit Byelaw 14.

(3) Before Byelaw 15 insert—

“14A. Traffic signs, causing obstructions and parking in England and Wales

(1) This Byelaw applies only in England and Wales.

(2) No person in charge of any motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance shall use it on any part of the railway in contravention of any traffic sign.

(3) No person in charge of any motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance shall leave or place it on any part of the railway:

(i)in any manner or place where it may cause an obstruction or hinderance to an Operator or any person using the railway; or

(ii)otherwise than in accordance with any instructions issued by or on behalf of an Operator or an authorised person.

(4) Any motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance used, left or placed in breach of Byelaw 14A(2) or (3) may be removed and stored, by or under the direction of an Operator or authorised person.

(5) A motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance may also be removed and stored, by or under the direction of an Operator or authorised person if such Operator or authorised person reasonably believes doing so is necessary:

(i)to deal with an emergency;

(ii)to allow access to persons or vehicles to enable maintenance of the railway to be carried out; or

(iii)to enable the safe and efficient operation of the railway.

(6) In this Byelaw:

(i)a traffic sign does not include an object or device for conveying the rules of a contractual parking scheme; and

(ii)an instruction does not include any instruction conveying the rules of a contractual parking scheme.

14B. Traffic signs, causing obstructions and parking in Scotland

(1) This Byelaw applies only in Scotland.

(2) No person in charge of any motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance shall use it on any part of the railway in contravention of any traffic sign.

(3) No person in charge of any motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance shall leave or place it on any part of the railway:

(i)in any manner or place where it may cause an obstruction or hinderance to an Operator or any person using the railway; or

(ii)otherwise than in accordance with any instructions issued by or on behalf of an Operator or an authorised person.

(4) No person in charge of any motor vehicle, bicycle or other conveyance shall park it on any part of the railway where charges are made for parking by an Operator or an authorised person without paying the appropriate charge at the appropriate time in accordance with instructions given by an Operator or an authorised person at that place.

(5) Any motor vehicle, bicycle or conveyance used, left or placed in breach of this Byelaw may be removed by or under the direction of a constable.”.

Amendment of Byelaw 15

12. In Byelaw 15(1), for “he” substitute “that person”.

Amendment of Byelaw 16

13. In Byelaw 16(2), for “him” substitute “that person”.

Amendment of Byelaw 17

14.—(1) Byelaw 17 is amended as follows.

(2) In Byelaw 17(1), for “he” substitute “that person” and for “him” substitute “them”.

(3) In Byelaw 17(2), for “his” substitute “their”.

(4) In Byelaw 17(3)—

(a)in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii), for “he began his” substitute “that person began their”,

(b)in sub-paragraph (iii), for “him” substitute “that person”.

Amendment of Byelaw 18

15.—(1) Byelaw 18 is amended as follows.

(2) In Byelaw 18(1), for “he has with him a valid ticket entitling him” substitute “that person is carrying a valid ticket entitling them”.

(3) In Byelaw 18(2), for “his” substitute “their”.

(4) In Byelaw 18(3)—

(a)in sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii), for “he began his” substitute “that person began their”,

(b)in sub-paragraph (iii), for “him” substitute “that person”.

Amendment of Byelaw 19

16. In Byelaw 19, for “him” substitute “them”.

Amendment of Byelaw 21

17. In Byelaw 21(4), for “his” substitute “their”.

Amendment of Byelaw 23

18. In Byelaw 23(1), for “his” substitute “their”.

Amendment of Byelaw 24

19.—(1) Byelaw 24 is amended as follows.

(2) In Byelaw 24(1), for “penalty” substitute “fine”.

(3) In Byelaw 24(2)(iv), for “him” substitute “them”.

(4) In Byelaw 24(3)—

(a)for “him” substitute “them”,

(b)for “his” substitute “their”.

(5) In Byelaw 24(6)—

(a)for “his” substitute “that person’s”,

(b)for “14” substitute “14A, 14B”.

Amendment of Byelaw 25

20.—(1) Byelaw 25 is amended as follows.

(2) In the definition of “authorised person”, for “his”, in each place it occurs, substitute “their”.

(3) In the definition of “Operator”—

(a)for “him” substitute “that person”,

(b)for “and” substitute “or”,

(c)for “those persons listed in Schedule One” substitute “any person listed in Schedule One and any person succeeding that person in the management or operation of a railway asset”.

(4) In the definition of “valid ticket”, for “he is” substitute “they are”.

(5) Omit Byelaw 25(4).

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Hendy of Richmond Hill

Minister of State

Department for Transport

27th November 2025

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Railway Byelaws which were made by the Strategic Rail Authority in 2005 under section 219 of and Schedule 20 to the Transport Act 2000.

Article 4 amends Byelaw 3, to make it an offence to use ‘electronic cigarettes’ as well as lit cigarettes and other lit items on railway premises.

Article 11 amends Byelaw 14, separating the provisions applying in England and Wales from those applying in Scotland. Bylaw 14A, which applies in England and Wales, clarifies that that these Byelaws do not impose liability for station car parking which are subject to a contractual arrangement.

Byelaw 14A(5) adds to the circumstances when a vehicle can be removed and stored in England and Wales by including circumstances in which the vehicle owner may not be at fault but the vehicle nevertheless needs to be moved. Byelaw 14B maintains the current regime in relation to Scotland.

Article 19 replaces “penalty” with “fine” to make it clear that this refers to a criminal, not a contractual penalty.

Article 20 amends the definition of “Operator” to make it clear that it includes successor organisations of the operators listed in Schedule One.

Articles 3, 5 to 10, and 12 to 20 amend the Byelaws to replace any gendered language with gender neutral terms. As a consequence, Byelaw 25(4), which provided that words importing one gender shall include the other gender, has been removed.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no significant impact on the private, voluntary or public sectors is foreseen. An explanatory memorandum has not been produced for this instrument as this instrument is not subject to Parliamentary Procedure.

(1)

2005 c. 14 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2005/14\").

(2)

2000 c. 38 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2000/38\"). Section 219 of, and Schedule 20 to, the Transport Act 2000 were repealed by section 59 of, and Schedule 13, Part 1 to, the Railways Act 2005.

(3)

The Strategic Rail Authority was established by section 201 of the Transport Act 2000 and was abolished under section 1 of the Railways Act 2005.

(4)

S.I. 2011/2213 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2011/2213\").

(5)

S.I. 2013/3269 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2013/3269\").