Common Safety Targets (CSTs)

The European Safety Directive 2004/49/EC requires that Common Safety Targets (CSTs) and Common Safety Methods (CSMs) are introduced gradually to ensure that a high level of safety in Europe is maintained and, when and where reasonably practicable, improved.

The CSTs and CSMs will provide tools for the assessment of the safety level and performance at community level as well as in the member states. Across Europe information on the safety of the railways is scarce and, unlike the UK, not generally publicly available. There is therefore also a requirement to establish Common Safety Indicators (CSIs) to assess that the system complies with the CSTs and to facilitate the monitoring of railway safety performance.

The development of the CSTs, CSMs and CSIs has been led by the European Rail Agency (ERA) with input from the railway industry and National Safety Authority. The long-term aim is to create trust between member states to prevent safety becoming a barrier to opening the rail market. CSTs only relate to significant accidents associated with 'rolling stock in motion' which represents approximately 40%[1] of risk on the railway. The difficulty in setting CSTs, however, is the wide discrepancy in the safety performance of the rail industry in different member states. In order to overcome this, an evolutionary process has been developed for the establishment of appropriate targets through the development of National Reference Values (NRVs) which represent a stage in the delivery of CSTs.

The NRVs will define the maximum safety risk levels that should not be exceeded by the railway system in each Member State. Should an NRV be exceeded a structured remedial process will be instigated by the ERA and the European Commission.

The first set of NRVs required by the Railway Safety Directive will come into effect on 30th April 2009 and together with the High Level Output Specification Safety Metrics set by DfT for Control Period 4 which commence on 1st April.

A joint DfT/ORR/RSSB sponsored seminar was held on 24th February to advise the industry on how the NRVs and HLOS Safety Metrics are to be introduced and managed and what the implications will be for individual transport operators. The presentations made at the seminar can be found below and further information can be obtained from pamela.thomson@dft.gsi.gov.uk, michael.haizelden@orr.gsi.gov.uk or colin.dennis@rssb.co.uk.

[1] Excluding trespass and suicides.