National Electronic Sectional Appendix

The National Electronic Sectional Appendix (NESA) contains detailed information useful to operators about network capability, as well as a considerable amount of other data.

NESA is an electronic data source with significant advantages over a hard copy publication. These include:

  • search tools for locations, routes and keywords
  • information can be accessed easily across Network Rail route boundaries
  • network maps enable a user to navigate through the data by linked references
  • a route-builder facility that allows a user to create bespoke routings to match their needs
  • online editing capability ensures that it is up-to-date.

Changes arise across the network every week (from track renewals to major construction activity), and we publish them first in the Weekly Operating Notice (WON) before rapidly incorporating them into NESA.

How to subscribe

To access the National Electronic Sectional Appendix (NESA) you need to:

  • Email the NESA mailbox with your name, job title, company name, company address and justification for access.

For external users please be aware we can only give access to requestors with corporate email addresses. Therefore, we will reject any request from a personal email account, such as Hotmail, in the first instance.

For issues viewing Table A’s in NESA please ensure you have SVG Viewer installed on your asset.

For forgotten passwords, please email ExternalPasswordReset@networkrail.co.uk and include the User ID and email address linked to your account. N.B. We monitor this email address on weekdays 8am – 4pm only. Outside of these hours, please call the IT Helpdesk on 01270 721600. 

For any amendments to the Sectional appendix, Route Clearance, General and Local instructions please email the Planning Publications team at PlanningPublications@networkrail.co.uk

System requirements

The NESA track diagrams (known as Table A diagrams) are rendered in a format known as scaleable vector graphics (SVG). To view these you need a suitable SVG viewer on your computer or device. You can download many of these free from the web. You can implement some viewes as a plug-in to web browsers. Your IT department should be able to advise you.

Accessing NESA

After you complete registration, we will send you an email with a unique username and password, explaining how to access NESA

Sectional Appendix PDF copies

Periodic Operating Notice and Sectional Appendix updates