QR was one of the first infrastructure owners in Australia to develop a rail access regime, with the approval of the initial Access Undertaking in 2001. The 2005 Access Undertaking builds on this, providing a framework for negotiations with organisations seeking access to rail infrastructure for the purpose of operating train services.
The intent of the 2005 Undertaking is to:
- Ensure access is negotiated in a competitively neutral environment
- Ensure access negotiations are conducted in a timely and commercial basis between QR and access seekers
- Encourage QR and access seekers to exchange information to enable effective negotiation
- Establish pricing principles for QR to use in negotiating access and to guide dispute resolution
- Outline how QR will utilise capacity
- Outline the interface considerations to be addressed by access seekers and access holders to obtain and maintain access
- Outline the principles to be incorporated into an access agreement
- Provide a binding dispute resolution process
- Provide that Undertaking activities are consistent with the Transport Infrastructure Act
- Facilitate competition through an efficient access application process.
The 2005 Undertaking was approved by the QCA on 30 June 2006 and is in effect for the period 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2009.
On 29 June 2007 the QCA approved amendments to Clauses 7.4 and 10.1 and Parts A and B of Schedule F of the 2005 Undertaking in order to address the form of regulation to apply to coal carrying train services on the Central Queensland Coal Region. The amended provisions were outlined in QR's revised draft amending undertaking submitted to the QCA on 25 June 2007.
On 17 December, the QCA approved further amendments to Part B, Schedule F of the 2005 Undertaking in response to QR's revised draft amending undertaking on maintenance costs, submitted to the QCA on 27 November 2007.
Details as to the nature of these amendments are available from the QCAs web-site (www.qca.org.au).
Further information on particular aspects of the 2005 Undertaking is provided in the Fact Sheets which can be downloaded from the links below. For further information on the 2005 Access Undertaking, please contact Ms Gayle Andrews, Manager Policy and Regulation, QR Network Access on 3235 5476.
