The Railway Regulation Act 1840 (3 & 4 Vict c 97) is an Act of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprema ...

. It brought regulation to the fast-growing railway industry in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. It is one of the

Railway Regulation Acts 1840 to 1893 Railways Act (with its variations) is a stock short title used in India, Malaysia and the United Kingdom for legislation relating to railways. List India * The Indian Railways Act, 1890 * The Railways Act, 1989 Malaysia *The Railways Act 1991 *T ...

.The

Short Titles Act 1896 The Short Titles Act 1896 (59 & 60 Vict c 14) is an Acts of Parliament in the United Kingdom, Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaces the Short Titles Act 1892. This Act was retained for the Republic of Ireland by section 2(2)(a ...

, section 2(1) and Schedule 2 The Railways Department of the

Board of Trade The Board of Trade is a British government body concerned with commerce and industry, currently within the Department for International Trade. Its full title is The Lords of the Committee of the Privy Council appointed for the consideration of ...

(the predecessor of

His Majesty's Railway Inspectorate Established in 1840, His Majesty's Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) is the organisation responsible for overseeing safety on Britain's railways and tramways. It was previously a separate non-departmental public body, but from 1990 to April 2006 it ...

) was created to fulfil this task.

Provisions

Measures contained in the Act were; *No railway to be opened without notice to the Board of Trade *Returns to be made by railway companies *Appointment of Board of Trade railway inspectors *Railway byelaws to be approved by the Board *Prohibition of drunkenness by railway employees *Prohibition of obstruction of the railway *Prohibition of trespass on railways As of 2011, Section 16 of the Act, ''For punishment of persons obstructing the officers of any railway company, or trespassing upon any railway'' remains in force, as subsequently amended. The remainder has been repealed and replaced.

References

Halsbury's Statutes ''Halsbury's Statutes of England and Wales'' (commonly referred to as ''Halsbury's Statutes'') provides updated texts of every Public General Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Measure of the Welsh Assembly, or Church of England Measur ...

External links

The Railway Regulation Act 1840 at railwaysarchive.co.ukThe Railway Regulation Act 1840
as amended from the National Archives.
The Railway Regulation Act 1840
as originally enacted from the National Archives. {{UK legislation History of rail transport in the United Kingdom United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1840 Railway Acts 1840 in rail transport Transport policy in the United Kingdom