1. This Order may be cited as the Rail Vehicle Accessibility (Central Trains Class 170/5 Vehicles) Exemption Order 1999 and shall come into force on 29th July 1999.

2. Any reference in this Order to a numbered regulation is a reference to a regulation bearing that number in the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998(2).

3. This order applies to the rail vehicles which are numbered 50501 to 50513 and 79501 to 79513 and which form the diesel multiple-units numbered 170501 to 170513 of the class known as "Class 170/5" (`the exempted vehicles') as manufactured by ABB Daimler-Benz Transportation (UK) Limited for use by Central Trains Limited.

4.-(1) Subject to articles 5, 6 and 7 below, the exempted vehicles are hereby authorised to be used for carriage even though they do not conform with those provisions of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998 referred to in paragraph (2) below.

(2) The provisions with which the exempted vehicles are not required to conform are-

• regulation 4(3)(b);

• regulation 5, but only in so far as it relates to control devices which are not operated by the application of pressure and which do not control doors which are in the side of an exempted vehicle; and

• regulation 13, but only in so far as it relates to the public address system for visual announcements inside the passenger saloon of an exempted vehicle.

5.-(1) The exemption given in respect of regulation 4(3)(b) shall cease at the end of 31st December 2000.

(2) The exemption given in respect of regulation 5 shall cease at the end of 31st July 2000.

(3) The exemption given in respect of regulation 13 shall cease at the end of 22nd March 2000 in relation to any exempted vehicle whenever it is used for carriage after that date on any service which is scheduled in the operator's public timetable to terminate at a destination station specified in the second column of the Schedule to this Order and to follow a route stopping at all the stations specified, opposite a specified destination station, in the third column of the Schedule to this order (whether or not it stops at other stations).

(4) The exemption given in respect of regulation 13 shall cease altogether at the end of 7th January 2001.

6. The exemption given in respect of regulation 5 shall apply in relation to any exempted vehicle only while instructions for the operation of any door which is operated by a control device to which the exemption relates are displayed on a sign:

(a)which is placed on or near that door and on the same side of that door as any such control device; and

(b)on which the letters, numbers or diagrams contrast with their background and are identifiable by touch.

7.-(1) The exemption given in respect of regulation 13 shall apply only in relation to any exempted vehicle for a period during which the operator provides in that vehicle or, where an exempted vehicle forms part of a train, in that train a person who complies with the requirements specified in paragraph (2) below.

(2) The requirements are that the person shall-

(a)have attended a training course, which has been approved by the Secretary of State, to be trained in awareness of the needs of persons with hearing disabilities;

(b)be equipped with writing paper, a pen and a printed timetable showing the services on the route on which the exempted vehicle is being used and the times of arrival at each station on that route; and

(c)be reasonably available to provide persons with hearing disabilities in the exempted vehicle with the information which is required by regulation 13(4) and (5) to be displayed on public address systems for visual announcements in a regulated rail vehicle which is not an exempted vehicle.

8. The authorisation shall cease forthwith in respect of an exempted vehicle which is operated by a person other than Central Trains Limited unless the Secretary of State has been given written notice in advance specifying the name and address of that other person.

THE SCHEDULE

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order authorises the use of specified rail vehicles forming Class 170/5 diesel multiple-units, although they do not confirm with certain requirements of the Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998 because warning sounds are emitted whenever the passenger doors in the sides of the vehicles are closed, passenger operation of some doors is by means of beam operated door sensors and the interior visual public address systems does not display all the required information. It sets time limits on the authorisation and imposes conditions.