What the legislation says
31. Discharging waste onto the track of a railway from a sanitary convenience or sink forming part of a vehicle used for the carriage of passengers on the railway line if the discharge in question does not exceed 25 litres.
What this means
Paragraph 31 permits discharges onto the track, of up to 25 litres each of passenger train sink and sanitary wastes.
Questions and answers
We have provided the following questions and answers to help you better understand if this exemption covers the type of activity that you wish to do.
Q. Who does this exemption apply to?
A. The exemption applies only to operators of passenger carrying railway vehicles who have registered a paragraph 31 exemption with us.
Q. What does it permit?
A. It permits toilet and sink waste to be discharged directly onto the track.
Q. Is there a limit on the volumes that can be discharged?
A. There is no upper limit on the number of times sanitary waste can be discharged but each individual discharge must be no more than 25 litres.
Example of an activity that is suitable for registration under a Paragraph 31 exemption:
- A train operating company wishes to discharge sanitary waste onto a section of rail track that their trains will operate on. Each discharge will be no more than 25 litres.
The discharges onto the section of rail network should be registered as a Paragraph 31 exemption.
Examples of activities that are not suitable for registration under a Paragraph 31 exemption:
- A coach company wishes to empty the waste from the coach toilets, onto the ground.
The discharge of sanitary waste onto the ground from any vehicle other than a passenger train is not permitted.
- A temporary, outside entertainment venue will provide mobile toilet facilities for the public and wishes to bury the waste on the same land.
The burial is not permitted by the Paragraph 31 exemption. It may be permitted under the terms of Paragraph 32.
