Current Status of Railway Safety and Risk Management in the UK

Railways are by far one of the safest means of ground transportation, especially for their passengers and employees. There are serious issues involved in both maintaining this position in reality and sustaining the public perception of railway safety excellence. Britain’s railway system was restructured and privatised between during 1990s. The industry now consists of separate companies including infrastructure controllers, train and freight operating companies, rolling stock companies and contractor companies to maintain and renew the infrastructure. However, the railway finds itself in a situation where actual and perceived safeties are real issues, to be dealt with in a new public culture of rapid change, short-term pressures and instant communications. Until Hatfield rail accident, the railway safety is now changed to safety case approach in which operators and builders of installations have to have an approved safety case for their activities before they are allowed to operate. This keynote presents an overview of current status of railway safety and risk management and a focused discussion on the lesson learned from Hatfield rail accident, main changes, current railway safety and risk management system, safety case approach framework, problems in safety and risk assessment and management with a aim to improve railway infrastructure safety management.