Welcome to the
Access Disputes Committee Website

“Assisting the Rail Industry to settle its differences”  

The Access Disputes Committee is responsible for the operation of the dispute resolution procedures that form part of all Access Agreements on the national network of Great Britain.   Access Agreements, which can relate to Track, to Stations or to Maintenance Depots, define the contractual terms by which Train Operators (and others) can make use of those facilities.   All of these contracts stipulate that, where the parties to the contract cannot agree on how it should be interpreted or applied, they must make use of one of a range of specified dispute resolution processes.  The arrangements are set out in the Access Dispute Resolution Rules, which are an Annex to the Network Code.

This website gives ready access to a directory of practical precedents, together with full copies of the determinations of past hearings and appeals.

A separate section of this website deals with Access dispute resolution matters on the High Speed 1 rail link.

The Access Disputes Committee is administered by a small Secretariat based near Euston Station, which is also the usual location for any hearings of Timetabling Panels or Access Dispute Adjudications.

Click to open the links below

Access Disputes Index Page 

Directory of Precedents Enquiry Map

Introduction to the Directory of Precedents and how to use it

History and function of the Access Disputes Committee

HS1 Access Disputes

 This page updated 16 February 2011