On 15 June 2000, NECA granted the Rail Access Corporation (RAC) an exemption from the requirement to register as a network service provider and the operation of Chapter 5 of the National Electricity Code. The exemption was granted under clause 2.5.1 of the National Electricity Code in accordance with NECA's NSP Registration Exemption Guidelines, and was subject to the following conditions:
- RAC must only connect customers on the rail corridor or related to the rail industry and adjacent to the corridor
- non-conestable customers must be charged the equivalent franchise tariff or less
- contestable customers must have access to retailers and be charged the lesser of the direct cost of their connection to the network of the equivalent network charge
- customers must have access to the NSW Ombudsman Scheme
- the network must be maintained at least to the standards specified in the connection arrangements with the local distributor; and
- RAC must remain exempt from the requirement to have an operators licence for the network
On 19 December 2005, the AER repealed this exemption and replaced it with a new network exemption (reference number AER 0006/05).