Sections 59 and 60 of the Railways Act 2005(external link) (the Act) outlines how the regulations relating to fees and charges are determined for rail transport.
The Railways Regulations 2019(external link) (the Regulations) were gazetted on 28 November 2019, which replace the 2008 version, and this page has been created to summarise what these regulations mean for you as a rail participant.
Note: References have been made to the relevant regulations where appropriate.
Until the 2019 Regulations, rail licence fees and the charges for the activities the Rail Safety Regulation team perform (such as safety assessments) had remained unchanged since 2008. This is part of the reason Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has been running at a deficit while performing the rail regulatory function.
The 2019 Regulations have been enacted with the intent of ensuring the Waka Kotahi rail safety regulatory function is both sustainable and can continue to improve.
Read more about the 2018 rail safety regulator funding review
