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GB Railway Strategic Safety Plan 2007 – 2009 published

Rail Safety and Standards Board has published the 2007 - 2009 Railway Strategic Safety Plan for Britain’s main line railway.

The plan sets out the industry’s approach to managing safety related activities for the next three years. For the first time it brings together commitments made by industry companies in their own safety plans.

This plan establishes trajectories for the industry’s collective ambitions in key risk areas and outlines the actions to be taken to achieve them.

The key trajectories for the industry will be:

• Deliver a measurable reduction in the risk from catastrophic accidents on trains and accidents to passengers caused by vehicle defects.
• Deliver a measurable reduction in the risk from crime to passengers and the workforce from assault, terrorism, trespass and vandalism.
• Deliver a measurable reduction in the risk from the misuse of level crossings from awareness campaigns, research into user behaviour and crossing design, upgrades and replacements and train driver competence.
• Deliver a measurable reduction in the level of risk caused by the behaviour of passengers at stations by reducing or eliminating the typical hazards that result in accidents; Improve the competency of workers at stations to manage this effectively.
• Maintain or improve the level of safety for passengers on trains.
• Maintain or improve the level of safety for train crew.
• Deliver a reduction in the rate of track worker accidents.
• Maintain or improve where reasonably practicable the quality of track engineering.

Len Porter, Chief Executive, Rail Safety and Standards Board said 'In the areas of risk under the direct control of the industry there is a long-term improving trend. The areas of highest risk have been identified and industry actions and initiatives to address these can be found within the plan. I am confident this plan demonstrates that the industry is managing safety in a coherent and responsible way and provides the platform from which further improvement in the industry’s safety performance can be driven.'

For more information contact the Rail Safety and Standards Board press office on 020 7904 7524/5 or visit our website at http://www.rssb.co.uk/ssr_rssp.asp