Regulation of Railways Act 1889
Encyclopedia
The Regulation of Railways Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c.57) was an Act
of the Parliament
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
(as it then was). It was enacted following the Armagh rail disaster
.
It empowered the Board of Trade to require any railway company to:
Provision was made to enable the railway companies to issue debentures to pay for the capital cost of the equipment.
There were also provisions regarding reporting the number of persons in safety-related employment who worked more than a specified number of hours.
This act also requires passengers to show tickets and to pay a penalty if travelling without a ticket. It also gives powers to agents of the railway to request a name and address and to make it an offence not to provide these details when requested.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
(as it then was). It was enacted following the Armagh rail disaster
Armagh rail disaster
The Armagh rail disaster happened on 12 June 1889 near Armagh, Ireland when a crowded Sunday school excursion train had to negotiate a steep incline; the steam locomotive was unable to complete the climb and the train stalled. The train crew decided to divide the train and take forward the front...
.
It empowered the Board of Trade to require any railway company to:
- adopt the block system of signalling on any passenger railway;
- to provide for the interlocking of points and signals on such railways;
- to provide for and use on all passenger trains continuous brakes; the brakes must be instantaneous in action; self applying in the event of any failure in continuity; capable of being applied to every vehicle of the train; and in regular use in daily working.
Provision was made to enable the railway companies to issue debentures to pay for the capital cost of the equipment.
There were also provisions regarding reporting the number of persons in safety-related employment who worked more than a specified number of hours.
This act also requires passengers to show tickets and to pay a penalty if travelling without a ticket. It also gives powers to agents of the railway to request a name and address and to make it an offence not to provide these details when requested.
External links
- Regulation of Railways Act 1889 from the Railways Archive