Freedom of Information
The Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT) is a legal entity within Network Rail. This means we are a public body and subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR).
FOIA and the EIR both provide a route of access for anyone to request recorded information that our organisation holds.
Before making an FOI request, please check out our Transparency page where we proactively publish some of the most commonly asked for pieces of information.
How to make a request for information
To make a request for information please write to us, detailing as clearly as possible the information you want and giving your name and an address for our response (this can be an email address). You can submit your request by email at FOI@gbrtt.co.uk.
You can also write to the team at:
Freedom of Information Team
Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT)
Waterloo General Offices
London Waterloo Station
London SE1 8SW
We will deal with requests as quickly as possible and within the appropriate statutory timescales.
Exemptions
We will deal with every request we receive under FOIA and the EIR, though in some cases we won’t be able provide the information we’re asked for.
The Act and the Regulations provide exemptions that we can use if we think disclosure would cause specific, genuine harm. These may include where the information:
- would prejudice the commercial interests of any person
- was provided to us in confidence
- is personal information about other individuals
- is intended for publication in the future
- would endanger the physical or mental health or safety of an individual or group of individuals
- would inhibit the free and frank provision of advice or exchange of views.
In addition, we may refuse requests if the information is reasonably accessible by other means or where the cost of locating, retrieving and extracting the information would exceed £450 – equivalent to 18 hours work calculated at a rate set by law at £25 per hour. In these cases we’ll provide advice and assistance to help you refine your request to bring it within this limit.
If there is a reason why we can’t provide all the information that you have requested, we will explain the exemption in our response. We’ll also tell you how to appeal if you disagree with our decision.
Appeals and complaints
If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been handled, you can make a complaint or request a review of our decision.
Please contact Network Rail’s FOI Compliance and Appeals team by email at ComplianceandAppealsFOI@networkrail.co.uk.
You can also write to the team at:
Freedom of Information Team – Compliance and Appeals
Network Rail
The Quadrant
Elder Gate
Milton Keynes MK9 1EN
You’ll need to contact us within a reasonable time frame, generally no more than 40 working days after you’ve received our response to your request.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF
You can also contact the ICO through the ‘Make a Complaint' section of the ICO website. The relevant section to select would be “Official or Public Information”.