Strategic Rail Authority
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The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) formerly known as the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority (SSRA) is a government body in the United Kingdom which was set up to provide strategic direction for Britain's railway industry. It lets and manages franchises to run railway services.
The Shadow Strategic Rail Authority was established following the election of the Labour government in 1997 in an attempt to re-regulate the fractured railway network following the privatisation of British Rail. It incorporated the former Conservative government's Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF). The SRA was placed on a formal legal basis by the Transport Act 2000 and it ended its shadow existence on 1 February 2001.
On July 15, 2004 the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling, announced that the SRA was to be abolished within the next 12-18 months, with some functions transferred to the government, some to Network Rail. Devolved governments such as the Scottish Executive, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Greater London Authority will be given some input in their areas.
External link
- Strategic Rail Authority web site (http://www.sra.gov.uk/)